Darkness on the Horizon
by Obsessedwiththatmassettass1
Summary: Hal must face dangers he never thought imaginable, and feelings for someone he never expected. Sacrifices will have to be made in order to save those he loves most. Not too much of a romance, but it definitely shows just how Maggie and Hal feel for each other. Lots of action and suspense!
1. Chapter 1

Hal looked up through the trees, half scouting for enemies, half enjoying the way the sun shone through the many bare branches, striking the ground in long, twisted streaks. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, noticing how his breath created tiny crystals of ice. It was the heart of winter.

He wasn't on patrol, but he made sure to keep a close eye out for Skitters and Mechs. Sometimes, like today, he found himself wandering out into the woods by himself, patrolling the area, even if he was off duty. It wasn't that he didn't trust the others. He just felt safer seeing things for himself. Plus, it was nice to get away from camp every once in a while.

He found a wide, flat rock and sat down, resting. He rubbed his eyes and yawned a little. He could use some sleep, but there had been a lot of alien activity recently, so he felt it best to stay on patrol as much as possible.

Hal heard a twig break from somewhere behind him. Without hesitating, he jumped up and whipped out his pistol, facing his predator.

Hal lowered his weapon and chuckled nervously. "Christ, Maggie. You trying to give me a heart attack?"

Maggie walked closer to him, her arms raised defensively, and laughed. "Sorry, Soldier Boy. Didn't mean to sneak up on you."

He smiled and tucked the gun back into the holster on his belt. Hal sat back down on the rock with a grunt. Maggie sat next to him, but made sure to keep a certain distance between them. Hal wished she felt more comfortable with him, but he didn't say anything.

They sat there silently for a long time and just listened to some birds singing off in the distance. Maggie was the first to speak.

"It's such a beautiful day." She said quietly, seeming afraid that if she spoke too loudly all the beauty would disappear without a trace.

Hal nodded and glanced over at her, feeling slightly intoxicated by her own beauty.

Maggie spoke again, her voice sounding almost sad. "It reminds me of the day they came."

Hal sighed and Maggie turned to him. They looked at each other for a while, and Hal finally glanced away, sighing again. "Yeah. It does me, too."

Maggie kept looking at him, questions filling her big Hazel eyes. "Hal?" She said after a moment.

"Mmm?"

"What was it like? When they attacked, I mean. What was it like for you? Where were you?" Her voice sounded cautious.

Hal closed his eyes, memories flooding back to him, threatening to wash him away. He looked away from her and smiled slightly, hoping to hide the pain he suddenly felt from remembering.

"I, uh. I was at my, um.. My house. Dad and Matt were still sleeping. Ben and I had gotten into it, arguing about something ridiculous. I can't even remember now." I said slowly. Maggie waited for me to continue, watching me closely all the while.

Hal cleared his throat and continued. "Mom broke us up, like always. Ben was so frustrated. He said he was going to take a walk, clear his head. When he had left, Mom told me.. She told me to promise her I would always watch out for Ben, take care of him. That he needed me, and I needed him, too. I told her I would, and she left. She went to get food with a friend of hers and my Dad."

Hal swallowed a little too loudly, and continued. "I, uh.. I had just gotten settled on the couch when they came. It was like a million earthquakes hit at once, shelves fell to the floor, people ran out of their homes screaming, guns went off. I ran outside and saw.. Them."

He laughed a little. "I was so confused that I didn't even feel afraid. It wasn't until my dad came to me that it all hit me. He told me to get Matt, said we were leaving. I found Matt hiding under his bed, whimpering. I picked him up, and we ran."

Hal paused for moment, remembering it all. "We ran for hours, without stopping, though we weren't able to get very far from home. We searched for Ben, my mom. We couldn't find either of them. Night came and we found an abandoned car garage and took shelter. The next morning I went out, hoping to find other survivors."  
He closed his eyes. "There were so many dead. The streets ran red. There were so many Skitters and Mechs, I was lucky to have stayed hidden. I kept moving, certain I would find at least one survivor. And then I saw her."  
Hal stopped for a few moments. This was the hard part. "My mom. She was laying a few blocks away from our shelter. I knew she was dead the moment I saw her. I don't remember much except for all of the blood around her. Her blood. I took my father to her. I remember Matt crying so hard he threw up."

Hal shook his head and laughed. Maggie sat there silent, watching him intently. She finally looked away from him and cleared her throat. "Hal. I'm... I'm so sorry..." She looked back at him.

She took his hand slowly. Hal looked down at their interlaced fingers and spoke quietly. "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is killing them, every last one of them."

Maggie hesitated before speaking. "It matters, Hal. You found your mother's body. That matters."

He looked at her, and chuckled after a moment. "We should head back to camp. It's almost dark." Hal got up from the rock and started to walk back to camp. Maggie closed her eyes, feeling helpless in her effort to comfort Hal. She waited a moment, sighed and followed him back to camp.


	2. Taken and Beaten Down

Hal stood slightly hunched next to a tree, trying to stay out of sight. He'd seen signs of skitters about half a mile back. They were probably still in the area.

He took his binoculars out of his pack and looked through them, scoping out his entire vicinity. Everything looked pretty dead. The ground was littered with dry, broken leaves and ice. There didn't seem to be any skitters or mechs nearby for the time being.

As Hal put his binoculars back in his backpack, he heard the faint sound of mechs. He held his breath involuntarily and listened closely. They were definitely heading his way, and fast.

Hal searched for a hideout quickly and settled for a fallen tree trunk. He threw himself on the icy ground quickly and waited until they were right above him. Hal's body tensed, but he made himself peer up.

They were heading straight into the area where the 2nd Mass was camping. And the mechs weren't alone. There were at least twenty harnessed kids with them, following mindlessly. Hal felt a twinge of pity for them. Ben had been one of those kids, months back. His instinct was to help them, mechs or not. But he knew he couldn't, so he fought his heart.

Hal watched as the mechs and kids disappeared down the trail, and after about ten minutes he felt it was safe enough to stand up and start heading back to camp. Hal ran back to his tipped over bike and sped towards camp, taking every shortcut along the way.

* * *

"Everybody take cover!" Captain Weaver shouted. Everyone simultaneously ducked as mech-fire unleashed hell on the area. Hal saw a few fighters blown back by the blasts. Some didn't get back up. He clutched his semi-automatic tightly and waited anxiously for the Captain to give the order to open fire.

"Fire!" Weaver yelled. Hal immediately jumped to his feet and unloaded on the mechs. He knew his shots were doing little if any damage to the bastard drones, but he held his weapon steady and aimed to kill.

Hal glanced over at his father, who was shooting viciously at the bots. Hal saw a whole different side of Tom Mason during combat than the loving, optimistic father who still tucked Hal's baby brother in every night. When they were fighting, Hal saw all of the hate his father had for these beasts, all of the pain he felt.

It enraged Hal, to see his father so hurt, so vicious. Hal turned his attention back to the mechs, hatred coursing through his veins. He shouted as he shot, mech-fire landing so close to him he barely stayed afoot.

He shot, thinking of his mother, of Ben, his father and Matt, and Maggie. He was so captured by his burning hatred that he didn't even see the mech-fire as it landed right in front of him. Suddenly, everything went black, and all of Hal's hatred and anger and pain seemed to disappear, slowly and comfortably.

* * *

Hal's eyes slowly opened. His head and chest were killing him. He rubbed his temple and blood came back on his fingers. It was dark, and so cold.

He was lying on the ground. His back was damp from where the ice had melted from his body heat. He slowly and painfully worked himself into a half-sitting position.

A light shone in his eyes suddenly. He squinted and shaded his eyes as best he could. He hadn't head anything come up on him, which means it had been there, waiting for him to come to.

The lights dimmed enough for Hal to see a mech and a human figure standing in front of him. He struggled to get to his feet, wheezing and collapsing as he did so. He finally managed a slightly standing position, ignoring the bursts of pain in his head and chest.

Hal looked at the human, unable to distinguish any specific features. He couldn't even tell if it was male or female. He glanced around briefly. Where were the others? Where was he for that matter? This definitely wasn't the campsite, or the barricade.

His eyes finally adjusted and he nearly choked on his own breath as he looked at the person standing before him. Karen. Hal stumbled back a step, not taking his eyes off her for even a second.

Karen smiled at him, but not the smile Hal had once loved so passionately. This smile twisted Karen's face evilly. She was almost unrecognizable. She had malice in her eyes, and Hal shivered.

"Hello Hal." She said, still smiling. "I've missed you so much. I never stopped thinking about you, not even for a minute. You still think of me, too, don't you?" She sounded so much like the old Karen that Hal nearly fell for it. But he knew Karen was gone. She was one of them now.

"What do you want?" He managed to say, making his voice as strong and loud as he could.

Karen's smile faltered slightly, but she held it up as she turned to the mech. "We've brought you here. To show you."

Hal hesitated before answering. "Show me. Show me what?"

Karen turned back to him quickly, smile bigger and more devilish than ever. "To show you what we we're capable of, silly. What we'll do when you resist us."

Hal swallowed tightly and watched carefully as several harnessed children emerged from the dark. They lined up robotically in front of him, their faces emotionless. Hal looked at them. They were all so young, one girl probably no more than five or six years old.

Karen looked at Hal again, watching him closely, then she turned to the mech and nodded slightly.

It was so sudden. Hal barely had time to register the gunfire before the first child fell to the ground, lifeless. He watched in horror as they fell dead, one by one. The he watched the little girl collapse in a pool of blood.

"No! Stop! Please!" He begged, his heart wrenching. "Please!"

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, Hal." Karen shouted over the last of the gunfire. "But now you know what happens when you resist us."

* * *

Hal wasn't sure when Karen and the mech had left him in the darkness, or when he had started to wander off down this street. He noticed he couldn't feel much. The pain in his head and chest had disappeared almost as soon as the last of the children had fallen dead.

He stumbled along the barren street, unsure of where he was going. He was probably heading away from camp, but he couldn't make himself care. He was so weak and tired.

Hal heard something in front of him. It sounded like someone was there. Normally by now he would have been diving behind something for safety and aiming to kill, but he was so tired he couldn't make himself do anything but walk mindlessly on, dangerous or not.

"Hal?" He heard someone call out. The voice sounded familiar. Hal slowed his pace a little, waiting for the stranger to speak again.

"Hal!" Dad. What was his dad doing here? How did he know where he was? His dad raced to Hal and grabbed him by the shoulders, carefully inspecting him. Hal stared at him silently, his face expressionless.

"Hal, are you okay?" His dad sounded frantic and scared.

Hal blinked, then spoke. "Dad?" He whispered.

His dad looked at him, relieved and sad all at once. "I'm here, son. I'm here." He pulled Hal into a tight embrace.

Hal let himself collapse in his dad's arms, his legs finally giving out. "Dad." He breathed weakly. He slowly wrapped his arms around his dad's back, clinging to him desperately. Then, suddenly, he was crying.

Hal's sobs were weak and faint, but they were definite, and his dad held him tighter, stroking his hair gently. "Dad..." Hal whimpered. "What is it, Hal?" His dad whispered, sounding a little shaken. "They killed them," Hal choked out.

His dad pulled back and looked at Hal closely. "They killed who, Hal? Who did they kill?"

Hal looked at his father pathetically, struggling to speak. "The kids. The harnessed kids. Karen was there. She... She wanted me to watch, Dad. They wanted me to watch." He wheezed in tightly, the pain in his chest coming back quickly and fiercely. "They were so young. One was younger than Matt, Dad. She was so small, and I couldn't help her." Hal crumpled in his dad's arms, letting the sobs rip through him angrily.

"Shh." His dad breathed shakily. "It's okay, son. I'm here. It's okay." But it wasn't. And they both knew it.

* * *

Hal had a few broken ribs and some pretty bad bruises on his head, but luckily no concussion, according to Doctor Glass. She gave him some painkillers and told him to rest as much as possible. Hal had quietly agreed to rest, his mind still reeling from watching those kids be slaughtered.

Hal walked back to his family's tent slowly. His dad had been called off to a meeting with Captain Weaver almost as soon as they had gotten back to camp. He ducked through the opening in the tent, groaning a little as he did so. Ben wasn't there. He didn't sleep much, since they had taken the harness off.

Hal saw Matt curled up on his cot, sleeping. His heart started pounding as he thought of the little girl back with the mech.

He hurried to Matt's side and knelt down slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. He stroked Matt's head gently, his hand getting lost in Matt's endless curls. He smiled softly, looking at his brother sleeping. He was safe.

Hal watched his brother for a long time, scared that if he looked away something would happen to him. Matt's eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at Hal, his eyes so big and innocent.

"Hal?" Matt's voice was sleepy and small.

"Hey, buddy." Hal whispered back. "Go back to sleep."

Matt propped up on one arm and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Dad said you were taken..." Matt said after a moment. "Did they... Do stuff to you...? Like they did with Ben...?"

I pulled him close to me and held him in a tight hug. "No. They didn't do stuff to me like they did Ben," I whispered into his hair. He hugged me back as hard as he could, instantly sensing something had happened, but asking no more questions.

"Hal?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" He asked after hesitating.

I smiled and kissed the top of his head like dad always did. "Of course you can, little man." Hal tried to look strong and confident for his little brother's sake, but inside he was terrified. He promised himself to never let anything happen to Matt or Ben, and he intended to keep that promise.


	3. Falling Away

_Hal was standing in the middle of a street. There were no lights. It was raining. And cold. So cold._

_He looked around him. He didn't recognize where he was, and he didn't remember how he had gotten there. His breathing became more panicked as he searched for signs of Skitters, certain they were the reason for his whereabouts._

_Suddenly, a bright light shone in his eyes. He squinted and felt a familiar sense of dread and pain as he glanced in front of him._

_They were lined up perfectly, all of them staring Hal straight in the eyes._

_No. No, he thought. Not again. Please, not again._

_Before Hal could do so much as blink, the bullets plowed into the children, one by one. The little girl was last. She was so small, so innocent. She looked at Hal as the first bullet struck her._

_Hal, she whispered before falling into a puddle of blood._

Hal shot straight up in bed, his body covered in a cold sweat. His breathing was uneven and rapid. He was alone in the tent. Hal slowly lowered himself back to a laying position, an involuntary tear rolling down his sweaty cheek.

It had been close to two weeks since he had been taken by Karen and the Skitter. Two weeks since he had witnessed those poor childrens' deaths. But he still couldn't get those images out of his head.

Doctor Glass had offered to talk with him privately about what he had been through. He had declined. Hal was hurting terribly, and he knew talking might help, but... He had plans. And talking would only get in the way.

Hal needed revenge, not therapy. But he wouldn't get his revenge until he was certain his family and the 2nd Mass wouldn't be harmed in the process. He was only willing to risk his own life. He just needed time. Time and planning.

Hal pressed the palms of his hands tightly against his eyes and took a deep breath. He forced himself to stand up, stretching and groaning along the way. Already dressed from the night before, he walked out into the campsite, shading his eyes from the sun.

Hal headed towards the mess tent, his stomach growling fiercely from hunger. As he was walking, he felt someone was watching him and he stopped quickly, turning to face his visitor.

Maggie. Hal couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. Maggie walked to him slowly and gave him a crooked smile.

"Hey there, Soldier Boy. Slept in kinda late today, huh?" She wore a smile on her face, but in her eyes Hal could see the caution, the worry. She knew he'd been different lately, distant almost. He could tell she wanted to ask him everything, but she never pushed him to talk.

"Yeah, I guess I needed some sleep." Hal said, trying to reassure Maggie that he was fine. Which he wasn't. He had barely slept since his father had brought him back to camp. But he'd be damned if he made Maggie worry more than she already was.

Maggie nodded, smirking a little. "Guess so."

They walked silently towards the mess tent together. As they ducked through the opening, Maggie reached out and took Hal's hand gently. And for a minute, Hal felt all the bad he had been feeling melt away.

* * *

Hal and his father were scavenging for food. Dai and Anthony had come with them, but they broke off into pairs when they reached the city. Tom had been pretty quiet since they had left camp. Hal wondered what he was thinking about.

They came across an abandoned diner and they both entered cautiously, ready to shoot. It was all clear, so Hal and Tom began to hunt for any food that may be salvageable.

As Hal was rummaging through a box of cans and packaged food, he saw a bracelet next to his foot. He bent down and picked it up. It was a charm bracelet. It looked almost identical to a bracelet he and his brothers had made for their mother. It even had a soccer ball charm and a 'Mom of the Year" charm.

Hal smiled sadly, remembering how happy his mother had been when she had put it on her wrist for the first time. She never took it off.

"You know, your mother once told me that charm bracelet you boys made her was her most prized position. I think it even took precedence over her wedding ring." Hal looked up to see his father watching him, a sad smile on his face.

Hal's dad chuckled a little, and wiped his mouth with his dirty hand before continuing. "She loved that thing, I'll tell you. Meant more to her than anything that you boys took the time to make it for her. She would parade it around like it was made of solid gold and diamonds." Tom paused, smiling at the memory of his late wife.

Hal looked down at his feet, clutching the charm bracelet tightly in his hand.

Tom looked at Hal, his eyes soft and affectionate. "You remind me so much of her, Hal. Ben and Matt are more like me, always have been. But you, you've always been just like your mother."

Tom walked closer to Hal, never breaking eye contact. "Rebecca. She was always so stubborn. It was one of the things I loved most about her. She never gave up, never slowed down. Just like you. Most people, after going through what you went through a few weeks ago, would have given up, or slowed down at least."

Hal's jaw tightened and he looked at his father painfully. "Dad..." He said quietly.

"But you..." His dad continued, ignoring Hal. "You just picked yourself back up, fighting for and protecting the 2nd Mass before you were even completely healed. Your mother would have done the same thing." His dad paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. "I know you're hurting more than you let on. I know what you went through wasn't easy, and..."

"DAD!" Hal whispered frantically, pointing at the diner's entrance. "Skitters!" Tom whipped around and faced a small army of Skitters digging through some abandoned cars. Tom turned back to Hal quickly. "Down!" He whispered, dropping to the ground in an instant. Hal followed his father's orders immediately and collapsed to the floor.

They scrambled towards the back of the diner where the kitchen was, slithering past empty cans and silverware. They reached the kitchen making minimal noise and prepared themselves for war.

Hal fingered the trigger on his gun, ready to shoot anything that moved. Tom was doing the same on the other side of the doorway, and he leaned forward a bit and glanced back into the diner, checking to see if the slimy bastards had left.

Hal watched his father's eyes dart carefully back and forth, scoping every inch of the diner. After a few moments, Tom ducked his head back into the kitchen and shot Hal a look. They were in the diner.

Hal tightened his grip on the gun and pressed himself firmly against a wall, watching his father for any indication as to what their plan was. But there was no time for a plan. In the next second, two Skitters crawled through the kitchen doorway and immediately launched into attack-mode when they spotted Hal and Tom.

Hal opened fire on one of the Skitters, leaving the other for his father. The Skitter advanced on him, seeming to almost laugh off the bullets plunging through its flesh. Hal walked backwards quickly as he shot at the beast in front of him. He hoped his father was having an easier time than he was.

Hal backed into another wall and found himself cornered by the Skitter and an empty metal pantry shelf. He aimed for the head and shot furiously, Skitter blood shooting out in every direction. He was able to get a few shots off before he ran out of ammo. Hal's heart stopped, but he couldn't afford to lose even a second of combat with the Skitter as close to him as it was.

Hal tossed his gun aside quickly and pulled out his knife, holding it in front of him threateningly. "Come on you son of a bitch." Hal mumbled angrily. The Skitter made no advance on him, so Hal took a step forward and thrust the knife quickly. "I said come on!" Hal roared. The Skitter jumped back clumsily and hissed at Hal. It sprang powerfully, its head nearly touching the ceiling.

It landed on Hal, pinning his arms and legs down. The knife fell out of his hand and skid across the floor under one of the pantry shelves. Hal looked at it frantically, stretching his hand as much as he could to reach it, then turned his attention back to the Skitter.

It was looking at him, its blood dripping onto Hal's forehead. He squinched his face up, trying to keep the blood from rolling into his mouth. The Skitter cocked its head at Hal, looking him straight in the eye. It opened its mouth and made a strange clicking sound. Hal felt its hot, rancid breath on his face and he winced.

The Skitter lifted one of its slimy legs and put its pincers against Hal's cheek. He held his breath and watched the Skitter, waiting. Slowly, it put pressure on Hal's cheek and tugged down, making a deep, long incision. Hal yelled, hoping his dad would be able to help him somehow.

Once it cut down to Hal's chin it stopped and bent down into Hal's face, hissing quietly. It was so close that Hal's nose brushed against its hot, sticky flesh. He groaned and tried to turn away, but the Skitter grabbed him by the head and turned him so his wounded cheek was facing it.

The Skitter put its face against the wound, seeming to rest. It opened its mouth and breathed into it hard, sending a fresh wave of pain through Hal. He screamed at the pain and wrenched his body, thrashing around in an attempt to escape. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from behind the Skitter, and then its head seemed to almost disappear in a thick cloud of blood and slime.

The Skitter's headless body collapsed onto the floor right next to Hal. Hal looked up to see Dai helping his father up, and Anthony holding his shotgun up, smoke still rising from the barrel. Hal panted and swallowed hard, looking around the room at the other dead Skitters.

Anthony strode over to Hal and helped him to his feet. Tom raced over to make sure Hal was fine, showing concern for the gash in his cheek. Hal reassured his father that he was okay, but he wasn't actually too sure. When the Skitter had breathed into his wound, something hadn't felt right.

Hal rubbed his cheek, wiping the wet blood on his pants as he and his team headed back to their bikes. Something was definitely off. He wasn't sure what exactly, but he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

As Hal reached his bike, he started to feel lightheaded. He tried to support himself by holding onto his bike, but then he was falling. He never felt himself hit the ground.


	4. Buried

It had been about a week since Hal had passed out after the attack. He didn't know what had happened. He was fine, according to Dr. Glass, with the exception of the slow-healing gash on his cheek. The Skitter had obviously meant to breathe into the wound on Hal's face, but he wasn't sure why. He had had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach since it had happened, though.

Hal and Ben were out on a scouting mission together, wandering through the lifeless forest. Ben stopped walking and cocked his head, listening. Hal immediately froze and fingered the trigger of the gun in his hands. "Skitters?" He breathed. Ben paused before answering. "No. Deer, actually." He smiled at Hal. "Scared?" Ben asked, half chuckling. Hal loosened his body frame and chuckled. "Not as much as you'll be if you don't shut your mouth."

They continued on their way silently. Hal focused on the sound of the dead leaves crunching under his feet. It was his favorite sound. He and his father used to go camping in woods similar to these when he was young, and the hike to the campsite was always his favorite part because of the sound of the crunching leaves.

After a few minutes Hal and Ben sat under a tree and rested, drinking water slowly from their canteens. It was a gloomy day, thick, pale grey clouds hazing the sky from every angle.

"What do you think Mom would say, if she could see us now?" Hal asked quietly. Ben glanced at Hal from the corner of his eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked tentatively. "What do you think she'd say? Us using guns and riding motorcycles, blowing up entire buildings and killing anything that poses danger to us. What do you think she'd say if she could see it?"

Ben was silent for a moment, thinking. "What makes you think she can't see us?" Hal chuckled somewhat darkly. "What? You think she watches over us from heaven, somehow guiding us? No. She's gone, Ben. Mom's just a memory now. She's not real anymore." Hal took a swig of water and wiped his mouth, leaning back against the tree.

Ben watched his brother, feeling his heart sink a little. It was hard for Ben to hold on to any sort of hope, especially after having been taken by those beasts. But he had managed to do it, mostly because his big brother had always seemed so confident, so optimistic. But Hal was starting to change. He was more reserved now, and Ben could see an extraordinary amount of pain in his eyes. He knew what Hal had been through, knew he had seen something that he couldn't ever un-see. But if Hal was starting to lose hope, how was Ben NOT supposed to?

"I think she'd be proud." Ben whispered.

* * *

Hal and Ben returned from their scouting mission and went in opposite directions without a word. They had both been silent since their conversation under the tree. Hal stalked toward the tents, wanting to catch a few minutes of sleep before guard duty with Anthony and Dai.

"Hal!" He turned at smiled at a mildly dirty Maggie. "Hal. Tector just got back from town. He said an entire army of mechs came at them from every angle. He and a few others managed to escape, but your dad was separated. Last they saw he and Anthony were leading the mechs away from camp, towards an abandoned school and told him to come back for help."

Hal's heart leaped into his throat. "Shit." He dashed for his bike at the end of the campsite, Maggie trailing behind him. He and Maggie started up their bikes and were ready to head out with Tector and a few others when Matt ran up to Hal, a semi-automatic in his hands.

"Matt, no. Not this time." Hal said sternly. Matt pursed his lips and tightened his grip on the gun. "I'm old enough to hold the gun, I'm old enough to shoot it. He's my dad, too, Hal." Tector began to lead the others out toward town, the air vibrating from the bikes' vicious rumbles.

Severely pressed for time and eager for as much help as possible, Hal nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But you follow every order I give you, whether you like it or not. Got it?" Matt smiled brightly and nodded fast. "Got it." He quickly hopped on the back of Hal's bike and wrapped his small arms tightly around his brother's waist.

Maggie smiled. "Pushover." She said sarcastically. Hal smirked and kicked the bike into action. The three of them sped off, catching up with the others, prepared for the fight of their lives.

* * *

The ride to town was taking longer than Hal had remembered it. They had separated into groups of two, hoping a rounded attack would be more effective. He could feel Matt's tight grip on his waist, how rigid and tense his body was. He knew his baby brother was frightened, and Hal was starting to regret letting him tag along.

Maggie was riding along next to him, wearing her battle face proudly. "This is gonna be one hell of a fight!" He shouted at her. She glanced at him and chuckled. "Getting a little scared, Mason?" Hal looked back at the road, smiling. "Nah! Just making sure you'll be able to handle yourself! If not, though, I'd be more than happy to!" She didn't say anything, but he saw a reluctant smile play across her lips at his comment.

Suddenly, an explosion lit up the road in front of them. Mechs and Skitters began to surround the area. Hal and Maggie swerved furiously, barely hanging on to their bikes. Matt clung desperately to his brother's waist, crying out as they nearly crashed.

They managed to avoid riding into the flames, but as they were coming to a stop and preparing for battle, another explosion went off behind them, shaking the ground angrily. Hal quickly scanned the area for any safe hideout and he spotted a half-torn down house about a hundred yards away.

Hal revved his bike and met Maggie's eyes, flicking them towards the house. She gave a slight nod and spun off without any warning. Hal was right on her tail. "Matt, hold on tight! And don't look back! Got it?" "Got it!" Matt yelled, tightening his grip and burying his face in Hal's back.

Maggie flew through the house's blown out doorway with ease and grace. Hal sighed in relief when she was inside, happy that she had at least some form of shelter.

As Hal's tires ripped through the mud in the front yard of the house, there was a huge explosion of mech fire about ten feet to his right. The explosion lifted Hal's tires and flung them through the air furiously. Hal managed to grab an already unconscious Matt before they burst through the rotten wood of the house, clinging his brother tightly to his chest as he crashed.

Hal landed on a bed of glass and shredded wood, feeling something dig deeply into the side of his rib cage. He managed to shield Matt from the harsh landing. He was still clinging to Matt when Maggie ran over and helped him struggle to his feet. Hal threw Matt over his shoulder and ran with Maggie to shelter in the basement of the home, ignoring the sharp pain in his side and the warm flow of blood pulsing down his waist with each footstep.

They managed to reach the basement and lock themselves in as another explosion shook the house. Hal collapsed against a stone wall, panting and coughing while he fought to catch his breath. He pulled Matt onto his lap and held him tightly, praying he would be fine. He was breathing, so Hal relaxed a little. Maggie fell next to him, breathing heavily and gripping her semi like she'd float away if she let go.

Another explosion shook above them, knocking dirt on their heads from the ceiling. "Got any ideas?" Maggie asked, still a little out of breath. Hal felt the pain in his side escalate when he turned to look at Maggie. He winced and put a shaky hand to the wound, feeling a thick piece of wood sticking out through his shirt.

Maggie noticed him wince and her eyes quickly shot to the hand he had pressed to his side. "Hal, you're hurt." She whispered frantically, scrambling to her feet to get a better look.

Hal felt warm blood ooze through his fingers as he breathed in too fast. "I know." He mumbled. "The wood's still in. Not sure how deep." He coughed as more dirt fell from the ceiling and settled around him.

Maggie fell to her knees and pulled Hal's shirt up, examining the wound. He noticed how pale her face was, how her eyes were practically twitching with fear. "I don't think it's in too deep..." She thought out loud. She looked up at him. "Hal, I have to take it out." Hal swallowed and nodded. "Then do it." He said, his voice a lot stronger than he thought it would be.

She drew in a shaky breath and wrapped her fingers around the tip of the shard. "You ready?" She asked hesitantly. Hal nodded. "Okay. Remember to keep breathing, even when you don't think you can. You're going to have to keep breathing."

Maggie started out slow, tugging it out gently. Hal gritted his teeth, but the pain was fairly mild. She applied more force to her tugging to speed the process up a bit. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his grip on Matt's still limp body. He could feel the shard ripping agonizingly through his body, and he wasn't able to suppress a scream of pain.

Maggie finally pulled the whole piece out. She let out a long, hard breath. She threw the wood across the room as Hal slid weakly on his side, Matt falling off his lap. Maggie got up and strode across the room, searching frantically for something. Hal started to feel very lightheaded and tired. He barely registered the explosion that went off directly above their heads, or the giant pieces of ceiling that began to fall around them.

"Maggie.." Hal breathed quietly. "Maggie..." He managed a weak croak. She grabbed what appeared to be a shredded linen towel and she rushed back to Hal's side.

She pressed the towel tightly to Hal's pulsing wound and helped him into a sitting position. She stood up and scanned the room for something to clean his wound with. Another explosion rocked the house. The ceiling and walls became very unsteady and started to cave in. "Maggie, get down!" He managed to yell, weakly tossing himself on top of Matt's body as the room collapsed on top of them.

* * *

_"Hal?" Hal opened his eyes. That voice, he thought. I know it. But from where? Hal sat up slowly. He couldn't see anything where he was. It was completely dark. But he smelled a beautiful, familiar scent. It smelled almost like wisteria. His mother always smelled like wisteria._

_Hal's heart nearly jumped into his throat. He leaped to his feet so fast he nearly passed out. "Mom?" He asked frantically. He waited for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest from the thought of seeing his dead mother once again._

_Rebecca Mason slowly emerged from the darkness, her face lighting up magically. Hal let a small, childlike whimper escape his chest. "Mom." He said, his voice cracking._

_His mother smiled softly, her face warm and comforting. She put a hand to her eldest son's cheek and wiped away a tear that was escaping his eye._

_Rebecca chuckled a little. "You've gotten so tall, just like your dad." She smiled gently. Hal looked at her, struggling to keep himself composed. He tried to speak, but he couldn't. He just looked at her, unable to believe his eyes._

_"I've missed you so much, Hal. You've grown into such an amazing man. You're so strong, so determined. You always have been, since you were a boy."_

_Hal looked at his mother, his eyes burning from holding back tears. He finally forced himself to speak. "I'm so sorry, Mom. That I didn't find you in time. If I had left a little earlier that morning, maybe I could have saved you. Now you're gone, and Matt has to grow up without a mom, and Dad hurts so much with you gone, and it's all my fault..."_

_Rebecca pulled Hal close to her, holding him tightly, like she did when he was small and had night terrors. "Hush, my child. Do not blame yourself for anything that happened. Not even for a second. You did everything you could. It was my time, sweetheart. There was nothing to be done."_

_Rebecca pulled back and looked at Hal's pained face, tears streaking through the dirt on his cheeks. She spoke with intensity, her eyes boring into his. "Hal, I need you to listen to me. The 2nd Mass is in danger. Something is about to happen, baby, something big and dangerous."_

_Hal felt his blood run cold. "What do you mean?" Hal asked her, his voice cautious and tense._

_"Something in you is about to change, Hal. You're going to have to fight it, fight with everything you have. Do you understand me? You have to fight this. It's going to take everything you have."_

_"What? Mom, what's going to change in me?" Hal questioned her, panic rising in his chest._

_"You have to fight it, Hal. I know you can. I know you can beat it." Rebecca leaned in and kissed his forehead gently, and then she was gone._

_"Mom!" Hal reached his hand out, hoping to catch her before she left. But he couldn't find her. He let out a choked sigh and fell to his knees. What had she been trying to warn him of? He tried to figure it out, but he couldn't think. Because he had just lost his mother all over again._


	5. Crawling

_Wake up, Hal. You have to wake up now._ Hal's eyes shot open at the sound of his mother's voice, and he gasped for air desperately. He was half-buried beneath a giant slab of drywall and several cobblestones.

"Hal!" Hal turned his head slightly and saw Matt kneeling beside him, his face splotchy and tear-stained, a small dribble of blood dried on his temple. He half expected to see his mother standing behind his brother, smiling reassuringly. But they were alone.

"Matt! Matt, are you hurt?" Hal's voice was strained and had a sense of urgency to it.

"No, I'm fine. But you... You wouldn't wake up. I kept calling your name, but..." Matt began to cry again, his voice sounding so young. "Hey, shh. It's okay, Matt. I'm awake, I'm okay. And we're going to get out of here, all right?"

Matt wiped his cheeks and coughed a little to clear his throat, then he nodded. "Okay." He said hesitantly. "Good man. Now help me up." Hal mumbled, already beginning to move the drywall off himself.

Hal suddenly felt his heart sink into his stomach as Matt began tossing away the cobblestones. Where was Maggie?

"Matt, where's Maggie?" Hal's voice cracked as he asked the question.

Matt's eyes grew wider and he swallowed. "I.. I don't know.. I.. I just woke up here, and you were next to me.. I didn't remember Maggie was with us..." His bottom lip began to tremble.

Hal hurried and used most of what little energy he had to push the last of the wall off, the he painfully and stiffly stood up, pressing a hand to his side tightly as the blood clot that had formed there broke.

Hal bent down and kissed the top of Matt's head quickly before moving across the collapsed room in search of his partner.

"Maggie!" Hal's scream was weak. He was beginning to feel lightheaded from blood loss and lack of air. "Maggie!" He called out a bit stronger this time.

He spotted her arm sticking out from beneath a giant wall of cobblestones. She wasn't moving. "Maggie!" He breathed, rushing to her side. He pressed his fingers to the underside of her wrist, praying he would find a pulse. He couldn't find one.

"No... No... Not you..." Hal felt like he would be sick. He used every last bit of energy he had to push the stone wall off her limp body. He turned her over gently and examined her. She was pretty bruised and bloodied, but she still had some color to her skin.

Hal quickly laid her down and began to perform CPR. He pressed hard on her chest repetitively. "Goddammit, Maggie, you are not dying on me. Not today." He breathed out as he pumped her chest furiously. He bent over and pinched her nose, then breathed into her mouth, noting that her lips were already cold. He breathed again, willing her to take his breath.

She did. Maggie began to cough violently, her body convulsing. When she finally began to relax a little, she managed to open her eyes and peer up at Hal. Her eyes were red and irritated from all the dust in the air.

"Hal..." She blinked up at him, almost in disbelief. Hal bit his tongue to hold back the tears that threatened to leak from his tired eyes. He had almost lost her. He had almost lost her. That thought didn't make sense to him. Life without Maggie wasn't... Possible. It wasn't life.

"Well, look who decided to join us." He said quietly, looking deep into her eyes. He managed a small, weak smile.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't go just yet. You'd never find your way back home." She scoffed breathlessly, closing her eyes.

Hal let a choked laugh escape his throat. "Yeah, yeah." He mumbled softly. He pushed a strand of her long, golden hair back from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear.

Maggie looked up at him as he did so, searching his face over. She noticed how shaky he looked, how his eyes were twitching fearfully, how his breathing was heavy and rapid. She had scared him, she could tell. He looked like he was a tragedy away from a complete breakdown.

"Hey." She whispered softly. Hal looked at her, pain and fear filling his eyes entirely. "Hey. It's over. I'm here. I'm here."

Hal let out a long, shaky sigh and rubbed his face roughly with his bruised hands. He met her gaze evenly and nodded.

Her eyes shifted to Hal's side suddenly. They flicked in panic. "You're hurt." She spoke quietly as Matt approached them. Hal nodded. "It's not that bad. Just needs some stitches." He said faintly.

"I heard something. Well, someone, really. Or I think I did." Matt ran his dirty hand through his sandy curls and squinted his eyes in thought.

Hal turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Someone?" "Yeah, I think so." Matt bit his lip and watched Hal so he'd know what to do.

Hal groaned as he rose to his feet. He held his hand out to Maggie, who gripped it tightly as he pulled her upright.

Hal strode to where Matt had previously been waiting, and listened. He didn't hear anything. "Hello?" He made his voice as loud and strong as he could. "Hello? Is anyone up there?" He shouted somewhat powerfully.

"Hal?" Hal recognized Tector's semi-redneck voice immediately. "Tector?" He called out, coughing as dust rained into his mouth. "Hal! Hey, man, we're going to dig you outta there! Just hang tight for a few, all right?"

"Yeah, Tector, just try to hurry, okay? Getting kinda hard to breath down here!" Hal couldn't help smiling a little.

"Will do, my friend, will do!"

* * *

Once Hal, Maggie, and Matt had been dug up and taken back to camp, they were all immediately sent to the med bus.

Hal had gotten lucky with his wound. Dr. Glass stitched and patched him up, gave him plenty of sugar to help with the lightheadedness, and told him to take it easy for a few days. He had a mild concussion, as did Maggie. Matt had gotten away with nothing more than a few bruises and scrapes, which lifted a huge weight from Hal's chest.

Tector had explained to Hal that he and his crew had managed to rescue Tom and Anthony after a long battle. On their way home, they had gone off course in search of Maggie and Hal, discovered their bikes shredded and flaming outside of a collapsed home, and hurried to check it out.

Hal found that sleep did not come easy to him that night. He couldn't stop thinking about his dream of his mother, everything she had said to him. He felt goosebumps creeping up his arms and down the back of his neck at the memory of his mother's haunting words.

He lay in his cot for hours, his body aching for sleep, but something was wrong. Hal felt... Different. He felt empty. Completely and utterly empty. Like he had nothing holding him to this earth.

Hal sat up in bed, sighing loudly. Matt was sleeping on the med bus with Tom, who was still unconscious from the battle. Ben was out, walking around in the woods, probably. He didn't sleep much anymore, not since the harness had been removed from his back. Hal was completely alone, and for once, he was glad of that.

He stood up, stretching his stiff legs and back, and slowly moved across the room towards a single mirror. He moved very sluggishly for he couldn't seem to make himself go any faster. He felt he wasn't in control of his body anymore.

Hal reached the mirror and gazed in at himself. He looked tired. So tired, and old. Ten years older than he was. His skin was pale and worn looking. His eyes were outlined with deep, black bags. He looked gaunt, his cheeks seeming to sink into his skull more than they should.

Hal sighed at the sight of himself. He closed his eyes, but they immediately shot back open. Hal felt something move, right above his cheekbone. He turned his head a little and raised a weak, shaky hand to his face. His hand retreated back to his side calmly. Hal watched as something wormed beneath his skin.

He wanted to cry out, to reach into his skin and rip out whatever the hell was in it. But he found he was unable to make a sound. Not because he was shocked, or scared. He literally _couldn't _do anything. It was like he was a prisoner in his own body. He could only watch, and wait for something to happen.

The creature beneath his skin snaked its way up, towards Hal's eye. It itched as it moved, one of those terrible, impossible-to-scratch kind of itch. Hal blinked once, and then it was there. It looked almost like a worm with legs. It was very small, probably less than an inch long. It crawled across Hal's cheek quickly, pausing for a moment before entering his ear.

Hal suddenly felt very ill. He saw flashes of terrible things, violent images of death and chaos, and his head began to pound. He put his hands to his head and bent over, groaning loudly in agony. He dropped to his knees, waves of horrible pain ripping through his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying the images would go away.

Then, the pain stopped. The images fled as quickly as they had arrived. Hal remained kneeling, breathing heavily. His hands were shaking violently, his heart racing in his chest.

_He's against you, Hal. Tom Mason. He's against you. He wants to hurt you. He's turning everyone against you, one by one. _Hal straightened up, all pain and fear forgotten. He waited for the voice to continue. _You know what you have to do, Hal. It's the only way. He's out of control. He will kill you, Hal. He will erase you from history. You know what you have to do._

Hal slowly rose to his feet. He felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. He couldn't think, couldn't feel. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time and gave a small, mischievous smirk.

He turned and walked back to his cot quietly. He sat down and waited in the dark. He waited patiently for morning to come.

* * *

Hal sat in the mess hall, a full tray resting in front of him. He didn't feel hungry at all, but he had wandered in here out of a mindless routine. He was alone at the table, for once.

He didn't feel well. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He remembered laying down last night and falling asleep, but he didn't remember waking up this morning. He was finding it hard to recall much of anything about the past few days.

Hal's bones were aching from exhaustion. He didn't even register Maggie's presence as she sat down across from him.

She sat there silently for a moment, immediately noting how pale he was, the thick, dark bags under his eyes, the way his hands were shaking slightly.

"Hal." Maggie finally spoke, her voice filled with concern. He slowly looked up at her and just stared for a second before something seemed to click in him and he realized he was no longer alone at the table.

He suddenly sat up straighter, his eyes became a little wider and more alert. "Hey." Hal's voice was soft and kind, like always. Maggie watched him with caution. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly. Hal gave her a half-smile, his trademark smile. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

She just looked at him. Something didn't seem right. "How did you sleep?" She asked casually after a moment, taking a bite of food.

Hal looked away for a moment, seeming to consider his answer. "All right, I guess. I.. I don't..." He sighed and rubbed his temples gently. "Nevermind." He stretched his arms, wincing as pain shook through his side.

"No, what were you going to say?" Maggie was very stubborn. If she wanted to know something, she'd find a way to make Hal speak.

Hal sighed again. "I just... I had these nightmares. They were..." He closed his eyes, obviously pained from these dreams.

"Hey." Maggie said softly. She reached out after hesitating a moment and took Hal's hand gently.

His eyes opened slowly and he looked at their fingers interlaced. He seemed to relax after a minute, and he looked at Maggie, his eyes boring deep into hers. It felt like he could see right into her, see all of her darkest secrets and memories, and it made her feel too vulnerable.

But she didn't pull away from him. She didn't look away or try to change the conversation, because he needed her, and as much as she hated to admit it, she needed him. He needed her terribly now, though. She could tell from the look he wore in his eyes. He had been through so much these past few weeks, more than anyone should ever have to go through, even in a world like this one.

Hal's jaw tightened as he fought back the memories of his nightmares, the memories of his memories. He suddenly began to feel overwhelmingly tired. He felt a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead and neck, and he struggled to swallow. _Hal. You know what has to be done. _

"Hal?" Maggie was watching him with cutting intensity. "Hal." She gave his hand a little shake, and he seemed to snap out of some remedy. He looked different, seemed different.

Hal tried to remember his conversation with Maggie, but everything was blank. He wasn't sure why, but he had a terrible feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry. I'm.. I, uh.. Just need some sleep." He mumbled, still a little dazed. He slowly stood, wincing a little as he did so. He looked down at his full tray, then at Maggie. She was watching him cautiously, like she thought he might explode any second.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I've got guard duty. I'll see you tonight." He brushed past her quickly.

Maggie let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, thinking. Something was wrong with Hal, she knew. She knew Hal, and that person she sat with just a moment ago was not the Hal Mason she knew so well, the Hal she had grown to love so deeply these past few months. Something about him had changed.


	6. Gone

Hal had wandered to Maggie's tent late that night, after his patrol shift was over. The room was vacant when he arrived, Maggie nowhere in sight. He wanted to see her desperately, so he decided he would wait for her. He stalked over to her cot and placed his guns on the floor next to his feet.

Hal didn't have to wait long. Moments later, she pushed her way through the curtain doorway. He felt relieved when he saw her, his body feeling refreshed, despite the throbbing in his side from the healing wound and the overwhelming exhaustion he was forced to carry. She stopped when she spotted him on her cot, mild confusion and concern in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked cautiously. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to see you." Hal's voice was quiet and tired.

"All right." She sounded uncertain. Maggie watched him carefully for a moment, and then she moved to sit with him on the bed, placing her guns on the floor next to his.

They were both silent for a few minutes. Maggie glanced at Hal to find him watching her. She looked away and took in a deep breath.

"How are you?" Her voice was intense, and she looked at her feet as she spoke. He knew she was very concerned about him, after everything that had happened. He was tired of people pitying him, though. Tired of people being concerned about him, or having a reason to be concerned about him.

"You don't have to worry about me, Maggie." Hal's voice sounded edgy and annoyed. She looked at him in surprise.

Maggie paused for a moment before speaking. "I almost lost you, Hal. I thought I was going to lose you. So don't tell me not to worry. You have no right to say that." She was trying to make her voice strong, but she was obviously torn.

Hal's face softened and he looked away. He sighed and glanced back at her, his eyes soft and caring. She was staring at the wall to her left, her eyes full of pain and fear.

"Hey." He whispered. "You didn't lose me, Maggie. And you're not going to. I'm not going anywhere." Maggie looked up at Hal, her eyes searching through his.

They stared at each other for a moment, their gaze never faltering. Hal saw something in Maggie that he had never seen in her before. Vulnerability.

Hal lifted his hand and placed it on Maggie's face gently, cupping her cheek. He expected her to turn away from him, to tell him to leave. But she leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes, and breathed in deeply. She opened her eyes again slowly. Hal paused, considering his next move carefully.

He leaned in, his eyes flicking as he watched her. She stayed frozen in place, almost seeming afraid of what was happening, but wanting it to happen at the same time.

They closed their eyes simultaneously as Hal's lips reached Maggie's, pressing firmly but gently together. They were both cautious at first, deciding whether to pull away or continue. They felt themselves getting lost in the moment they both had been wanting for so long. They'd kissed a few times in the past, but this was different.

Hal pressed his other hand to Maggie's other cheek firmly, holding her face tightly in both hands. The kiss became more passionate within seconds, and soon they were both lying on their sides, holding each other as they kissed.

Hal moved his hands so that they brushed over her waist softly. His hands floated over her waist for a moment, and then drifted slowly down her thighs.

Maggie had balled up the back of Hal's jacket in her fists tightly, and now she pulled him up so she could tug it off of him. They carefully began to undress each other, both completely aware and oblivious to what was happening. Maggie pushed Hal down on the bed, and then it happened. They suddenly became a part of each other.

It was the most natural thing Hal had ever felt. It was so intimate and sensual, and it was everything he had imagined it would be. It was in that moment that they both realized how much they loved each other, how terrified they were to lose each other. When they finished, Hal held Maggie in his arms, his embrace strong and protective. It was the first time in Maggie's life that she had ever felt safe and vulnerable at the same time.

"Hal..." Maggie's voice was nothing more than a breath, so quiet that Hal barely heard it. "Yeah?" He pressed his face into the back of her head, closing his eyes and breathing in her intoxicating scent. "I think I love you..." She whispered. Hal smiled against her hair and kissed the back of her neck gently. "I think I love you, too."

Maggie smiled softly, and a moment later she slipped into a peaceful slumber, her body relaxing into Hal's entirely.

"Goodnight, Maggie." Hal whispered before letting himself drift off into darkness.

* * *

_Get up._

Hal's eyes opened in an instant. Maggie's forehead was pressed against his, her face relaxed and soft as she slept.

_Get up._

Hal slowly rose from the cot, feeling a sense of emptiness wash over him. Maggie stirred in her sleep a bit, but then relaxed.

_Go to the mirror._

Hal walked to the mirror obediently, finding he could move with great ease despite his stiffness and exhaustion. He reached the mirror and stared into it, his mind completely blank. The face that looked back at him was his own, but different somehow. His reflection looked menacing. Evil.

"Look at you, Hal." The reflection's voice was low and dark. "Look what they've turned you into. You're pathetic." Hal felt himself coming back into his body slowly.

"Once, you were strong. Determined." The reflection smiled, its lips curling up devilishly. "Just like your mother. But now you're weak."

Hal felt himself now, felt he had some control over his own body again. His breath was slow and shaky as he watched his reflection.

"Don't you want to be strong again?" Hal didn't answer. He just watched, his eyes narrowed, his frame tense and rigid.

"Tom Mason is against you, Hal. Your own father. He has something planned, and he's going to make sure you die in the process. You need to find out what he's planning, and _eliminate_ him. Take him out, before he ends you."

Hal started to shake his head slowly. "No..." He mumbled. "My father would never hurt me. He would never kill me." He closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his temples furiously. "This is just a hallucination..."

"Oh, grow up, Hal!" The reflection shouted, its voice spitting with rage. "You think that because you're his precious little boy he wouldn't take you out to complete a mission? He would. And he wouldn't think anything of it. You have to find out what this plan is. Once you know, you have to stop him, Hal. He'll kill you. You, and everyone you love."

The reflection stood up straight and chuckled darkly, then it met Hal's eyes evenly. "Tom's not your father anymore, Hal. He's the enemy."

Hal turned away from the mirror, and he felt himself fading away. He felt himself being taken over by something horrible. His mind started to disappear, and all his thoughts were replaced with a blinding anger. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Hal was gone. He was now nothing more than anger and hatred.

_Don't let anyone know, Hal. This is our little secret._

Hal smirked, his face seeming dark and evil. He crawled back into bed with Maggie, holding her from behind. He looked over her, his eyes gleaming with darkness, and he smiled, his face contorting into something dangerously evil.

* * *

Hal was sitting up in Maggie's cot, still undressed from the night before. He watched her closely, his mind racing with a million voices telling him to do a million different horrible things.

She was still sleeping, her face so peaceful. Her golden hair was draped over her shoulders, hiding parts of her chest.

Hal stared at her, their intimate, passionate night together forgotten. She would try to stop him. She would get in the way of his plans. He had to know what Tom was planning, and he had to stop him. But Maggie would stop Hal before he could get to Tom.

Hal watched Maggie as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She squinted at first from the bright morning light filtering in through the tent's opening. As her eyes began to adjust, she met Hal's eyes and smiled softly.

"Morning, Stud." She was smiling cheekily now, her eyes sparkling in a very un-Maggie-like way.

Hal cocked his head slightly and smiled deceivingly. "Morning."

Maggie propped herself up on one elbow and brushed some hair behind her ear. "Sleep well?" She asked, trying not to show how concerned she was about him sleeping.

Hal continued to smile. "Amazing. What about you?"

"Pretty great myself. You certainly know how to make a girl comfortable, Hal Mason." She twisted out of bed, her body completely exposed to him. She bent down and began to put her clothes back on. Hal watched her as she turned from him, noticing the tattoo on her shoulder blade.

It was a bird, long and graceful, its wings stretching as far down as the middle of her back. It was greatly detailed, and beautiful.

Once both of them were dressed, they decided to head out for breakfast.

Hal was silent as they walked, hand-in-hand. Maggie glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. His face was blank, and he seemed to be in deep thought.

"Everything all right?" Maggie looked away as she asked this, wanting to appear casual.

Hal said nothing for a moment. His mind was racing with plans. How to get Tom Mason alone, so there would be no interference to deal with. How to get him to talk. How to kill him.

"Yeah. I'm fine." His voice was distant, and slightly annoyed, but he put a smile on his face to disguise it all.

Just as Maggie was about ask if he was sure, Hal spoke. "I'm not very hungry. I'm going to go talk to my father. Weaver told me last night they were having a meeting this morning. I think I'll drop in. See you later." He pulled his hand from Maggie's, and then he departed.

Maggie stood there for a moment, wondering what had just happened. Hal's mood seemed to have switched at the drop of a hat. She watched him as he hurried across the campsite towards his father's location, her mind reeling. Part of her wanted to run after him, pound him with a million questions. Another part told her not to push him. She sighed and started off towards the mess hall.

* * *

Hal had found Dai and asked him where Tom was. He said he was in a meeting with Weaver and some others in the abandoned city hall building. "It's top secret." Dai had said, holding his hands up and shaking them jokingly.

Hal rushed into the building and quickly found the room the meeting was being held in. He opened the door after knocking once.

The room held all of the 2nd Mass's most important people. Tom and Ben Mason, Captain Dan Weaver, Marina Peralta, Jim Porter, even Pope had wormed his way in, and now Hal, who was more important than all of them.

As Hal entered, he found the group beginning to wrap up the meeting. He had arrived too late.

"Dad!" Hal brushed past Porter and Peralta as he made his way to his father, who was locked in a conversation with Ben and Weaver.

"Hal! Got here a little late, huh?" Tom smiled at Hal and put his hands on his shoulders as he reached him. "How are you feeling?" He was still smiling, but he was looking at Hal with distinct concern.

"I'm fine. Dad, I need to talk to you. You have a minute?" Hal's words sounded rushed and agitated, causing Tom to raise his eyebrows. "Uh, yeah. Captain, I'll find you in a little while to discuss the specifics. Let's walk?" Tom said, turning back to Hal.

Hal nodded and they turned and walked out of city hall.

_Make him squeal._

Hal closed his eyes as he walked, listening to the voice intently.

"Hal, is everything all right?" Tom was watching his son closely. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Shut up." Hal's voice was low and it almost sounded like a growl. When Hal opened his eyes, Tom saw they they were not his son's eyes. The irises were pitch black, hiding his pupils entirely, and the whites of his eyes were terribly bloodshot. They looked like the eyes of a demon. Tom suddenly began to realize this was not his son he was speaking to.

"Who are you?" Tom had stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide.

"Oh, I'd keep walking if I were you, Professor." Hal spoke, the corners of his lips twitching up menacingly. He slowly pulled a pistol out of his jacket and pressed it threateningly into Tom's side.

Tom looked down at the gun, and then back into the eyes that once belonged to his son. He nodded slowly and started walking again. "Can I at least ask what you want?" Tom's voice was hushed, afraid of alerting anyone. The last thing he wanted or needed was a group of soldiers opening fire on him and his son.

"In time, Professor. In time." Hal's voice was distant, and he was scanning the area as he walked to ensure there were no threats nearby.

They were heading towards a building that looked like it might have been a phone company. It was half-torn down now, and thick moss was beginning to creep up the sides.

"Tom!" Anthony was jogging over to them, his hand waving in the air a little. "Tom! I was wonder... Tom, is everything okay...?" He saw the look on Tom's face, and the look in Hal's eyes, and then the gun pressed firmly into Tom's abdomen. Anthony slowly moved his hand towards the pistol in the holster on his belt-loop.

Without hesitation, Hal shot at the ground next to Anthony's feet. Anthony threw his hands up so Hal could see them. It was only moments later when others arrived, armed and ready to shoot Hal.

Maggie ran up, unaware of who was the threat. When she spotted Hal with Tom, she felt her heart sink into her stomach. She quickly looked away, her eyes big and confused. She took a few deep breaths and steadied herself. When she looked back, Hal was using Tom as a bodyguard, his body completely covered.

"You better hold your fire, men, or I will put a bullet through his skull! That's a promise!" Hal shouted, his voice threatening and dangerous.

Hal began to drag Tom slowly into the abandoned phone company building, holding a gun to his temple.

"Hold your fire!" Tom shouted loudly. He obviously did not like the idea of opening fire on his son, even if his son was planning on killing him.

Finally, the two of them reached the phone building, and they disappeared from sight.


	7. Into Darkness

"Who are you? What is this about?" Tom asked as Hal shoved him into an old office filled with collapsed dry wall and a broken desk. A cracked picture frame lay on the floor, the picture in it slightly faded. It was a photo of a man in a baseball jersey and a young girl with braids resting on his shoulders smiling like nothing in the world could take that smile away from her.

Hal pushed Tom to the floor roughly and slammed the cracked door behind himself.

Hal glanced around the room briefly, his eyes filled with a darkness that frightened Tom terribly. He spotted a chair across the room and strode to it. He hurried back to the door and jammed it tightly under the doorknob as a lock.

"Who are you?" Tom asked again, his voice husky.

"Who I am isn't important, Professor. What I want is what you should be concerned with. If you comply, I'll let you see your precious boy again." Hal spoke lowly, his eyes boring into Tom's.

Tom swallowed before speaking. "Okay. All right. What is it that you want?" His voice was filled with genuine concern.

Tom heard footsteps outside and knew that Weaver had ordered his men to station outside the room in case something needed to be done. He couldn't let anything happen. He knew they'd shoot Hal if Hal became too much of a threat to Tom.

_Ask him about the attack, Hal. Ask him about Boston. Chicago._

"What are you planning, Tom? An attack, right? Where?"

Hal watched as all the color in Tom's face washed out. He slowly began to shake his head, his lips pressed so tightly together they were white.

"I'm not going to tell you anything." Tom stated firmly.

Hal chuckled, his laugh hoarse and dry. He crouched down so that he was at eye level with Tom.

"Oh, I think you will, Professor. Otherwise you will be burying your boy." Hal said with a smirk on his face.

Tom clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists. "No. You won't. Hal. You won't. You're in there, Hal, I know you are. You can fight this."  
Hal's brow slowly furrowed. He looked at Tom. Hal was in there, fighting himself. But he wasn't strong enough. He felt himself being shoved deeper into his subconscious.

The shuffling outside had come to a halt. Tom supposed Weaver had ordered them to wait until further notice. He knew Weaver didn't want any harm to come to Hal any more than Tom did, but he would still do whatever he had to to keep the 2nd Mass safe.

Hal shook his head as if coming out of a daze. He cocked his head at Tom, and a smirk began to creep across his face once more.

"You think that'll work, Mason? Hal's not here anymore. I control him now. And either I get what I want from you, or I kill your son. Your choice." Hal stood up again, holding his pistol firmly.

Tom watched Hal closely, his eyes searching for any remainder of his son. He saw nothing, but he had to try.

"You've been through so much, Hal. These past few weeks have been hell, I know. But you have to know none of it was your fault." Tom watched Hal with uncertainty.

Hal's feature shifted noticeably then. He began to look more like himself. He frowned and stared at his father in mild confusion.

"What happened with those kids. There was nothing you could have done. It was out of your control." Tom continued quietly. "You couldn't have saved them, Hal. No one could have."

Hal broke through just a bit. He looked at his father and opened his mouth as if to speak, but he remained silent. His hands began to shake slightly as he felt the guilt and pain weighing on him once again.

Tom bit his bottom lip. "You know, just before the attacks, after that last lacrosse game of yours, your mother scolded me because I had missed it, just like most all of your games. I wish so badly now that I had been there to see you play. I wish I had been there to see a lot of things. You've grown into such a courageous, strong man, and I've missed so much. I'm so sorry, Hal."

Hal's breathing was becoming shaky and hard. He was there, fighting, but a part of him still wasn't in control.

"Tell me your plan...or I'll shoot myself…" Hal spoke weakly, his throat gruff from holding back tears.

"No." Tom said, shaking his head and rising to his feet slowly. "No, you won't shoot yourself."

Tears began to fall down Hal's cheek. He drew in a shaky breath and turned the gun on himself, pressing it firmly against his temple. "Tell me what I need to know, or I'll shoot... I swear..." His voice was barely a whimper now, and Tom knew Hal was fighting desperately with this thing.

"No, Hal. Don't do this. Give me the gun. Please. Just give me the gun." Tom held his hand out gently.

Hal fingered the trigger, and Tom's heart jolted painfully. "Boston. Chicago. Talk!" Hal yelled weakly.

That was when Tom saw it. He watched in horror as a small, worm-like bug slowly emerged from Hal's ear and crept across his cheek until it reached his mouth, then it vanished inside of his son once more.

Tom's heart was racing. Hal's face suddenly became dark and dangerous again. He smiled at Tom, his eyes fading from hazel to black.

"Death, then." He said, his voice low and menacing.

"No!" Tom lunged for Hal just as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

For the first time since the attacks, Hal felt good. He felt free. It was such a foreign feeling to him that he almost rejected it.

He was nowhere. There was nothing here. It was just black. He expected his mother to emerge as she had before, but he found himself alone in this darkness.

Hal layed down. He stretched his arms and legs as far as he could, listening to the stiff joints popping uncomfortably. He relaxed. Hal knew he was dead.

He didn't remember how, or when he had died. But he knew he wasn't living anymore. And somehow he was okay with that.

Hal always figured that when his time was up, he'd be afraid. He thought it would be terrible, and that he would do everything he could to fight it. But he found himself accepting death quite easily and comfortably now.

He thought of his mother, and wondered if this was what her death had been like. He hoped her death had been better. He hoped she had gone to a place full of people who watched after her and loved her, like a new family.

Hal closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, and as he did, he felt a sharp pain in his temple.

Hal sat up quickly, pressing a hand to his temple. He clenched his jaw, and again a shooting pain ripped through his skull.

_Time to get back to work, Hal._

* * *

Hal's eyes fluttered open. His breath was icy and harsh. He felt straps pressing down on his chest and legs firmly. He suddenly became aware of the agonizing pain in his head, and he knew his suicide attempt had failed miserably.

Hal looked around the room he was being held in. There were blinding lights shining in his face from all directions, so his vision was severely compromised. He squinted and managed to make out some medical equipment: a gurney with needles and knives resting on top, an IV stand across the room and an awaiting IV bag lying on a table, and what appeared to be a blow torch next to the bag.

The room he was in was much bigger than the med bus. Hal rested back, his head throbbing painfully.

He felt the darkness creeping to the surface again, and he knew his only way out of this situation was to lie. He had to make everyone believe he was better, that he had control of his own body. It was his only hope for making it out alive.

Hal closed his eyes as the darkness consumed him entirely.

_Don't let them know, Hal. Make them see you're in control now._

Hal's attention was suddenly diverted when he heard rustling outside the room. His head snapped to the side quickly, igniting a burst of pain. The door creaked open hesitantly, and Hal watched as Matt entered, his head lowered slightly in fear.

Matt closed the door and faced his brother bravely. "Hal?" His voice was shaky.

"Hey, buddy." Hal said, sounding as caring and loving as always. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad... Dad said you had a bug... He said to stay away, but I wanted to see you..." Matt avoided eye contact at all costs.

"Well, Dad was right, little man. I HAD a bug. But not now. It's gone now." Hal saw Matt's eyes fill with hope and joy instantly.

"It is? How did it go away?" Matt's voice sounded almost cheery.

Hal's lips curled up slowly. "It just left, buddy. It didn't need me anymore, so it just left. But Dad... Dad doesn't know it left, Matt. That's why I'm here, strapped down." Matt's face fell a little, and he listened to his brother's words intently.

"I need your help, Matt. Do you think you can help me?" Matt paused for a moment, then nodded. Hal smirked. "Good man. I need you to come over here and undo these straps for me. Can you do that, buddy?" Matt hesitated noticeably. He bit his lip and frowned.

"I don't know, Hal... Maybe we should wait until Dad gets here so he can undo them..." Matt's voice was small but cautious.

"Matt, I need you to undo them NOW." Matt immediately detected the frustration in Hal's voice, and he took a step back.

"Matt, UNDO THEM NOW." Hal couldn't hide his anger anymore. He spoke through gritted teeth. "Matt!" Matt stepped back, frightened, and his back slammed into Tom as he entered the room.

"Matt, I told you to stay away from here." Tom's voice was low and emotionless. "Dad, I..." Matt began, but Tom interrupted him. "Go, Matthew!" Tom said harshly.

Matt quickly left the room, leaving Tom alone with Hal.

"Dad, you gotta get me out of here. The bug left. It's gone." Hal said, his voice hoarse. Tom remained silent, staring blankly at his son.

"Dad, please. You have to believe me. Please. The bug's gone now. It's just me." Hal gave a feeble smile.

Tom finally spoke. "Anne is preparing to perform a surgery to remove the bug, Hal. It's Espheni technology. It'll make you better, kill that thing inside of you."

_It'll kill you, Hal._

Hal's breath shuttered. "If it doesn't kill me, you mean? You don't know anything about Espheni technology. What if this kills me?"

Tom swallowed tightly, but his face remained emotionless. He said nothing.

"Dad, I don't wanna die." Hal said, stunned. "I don't wanna die, Dad. Dad!" Tom had turned away and was now walking out of the room.

"Dad! DAD!" Hal's voice cracked, and he began whimpering like a child. He struggled fiercely against the restraints, but gave up within moments.

_Tom Mason is going to kill you._

Hal growled angrily. "You son of a bitch! I hope I see you in hell, you goddamn coward!" Hal's voice echoed throughout the room.

* * *

Hal felt the veins in his neck and forehead pulsing out as he strained himself against the tight restraints. He felt the wound on his head from the bullet reopen and blood flow warmly into his hair.

Anne stood to Hal's left, wearing a white coat and a surgeon's mask. She was toying around with a slimy, tube looking thing. She picked up a drill and switched it on.

Hal let out an angry howl of fear. Tom Mason stood at the other end of the room, watching his son in agony. Ben was next to his father, his arm resting reassuringly on his shoulder. Maggie stood on Tom's other side, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Bastard!" Hal screamed, his voice fierce and threatening. He thrashed against the straps furiously.

Anne drilled into the tube, her eyes narrowed in focus. Hal looked away in fear, groaning in rage as he attempted one last time to break free. Then it happened.

Anne placed something dark in front of Hal's face. He flinched away, gritting his teeth and growling like an animal. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited.

The pain came immediately. It was unbearable. Hal felt fire racing through his veins. He felt as though his insides were melting.

"Ahhhhhggghh!" Hal screamed in fury as he felt the fire coursing through him. "Aghhhhgghhhaaaaaa!" His scream began to falter as the pain became too excruciating to bear. Hal felt his body seizing uncontrollably. "Please kill me!" He begged in agony, his voice ripping through the air like a siren.

He felt himself choking on the pain, his screams coming out like gargles. And then he let himself slip away, letting go of everything.

Hal Mason fell into the darkness once more, and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to find his way back to the light again.


	8. Revenge Will Come Soon

Hal's eyes fluttered weakly. His breath was quick and labored. He felt pain coursing through his body with each rise and fall of his chest. The pain in his head was the worst, though.

He struggled to remember what had happened to him, but he couldn't seem to form any memories past the night he had spent in Maggie's tent. Hal's heart suddenly wrenched. Something must have happened that night.

Hal's eyes shot open quicker than they should have, and his head surged with an unbearable pain, but he ignored it. "Maggie!" Hal gasped her name, his voice inaudible.

His eyes darted around the room he rested in. He was panicking. He was lying on a hospital bed in what appeared to be a hospital room. He had no clue how he had gotten there, and he was terribly frightened, but what was worse was that he was completely alone in the room.

"Maggie!" Hal's voice was a little stronger now, almost a croak. He struggled to sit up in the bed, but he collapsed as he did so, finding he was painfully weak.

The door to the room slowly began to creak open, and Hal immediately tensed up. He had no idea where he was, and he had no idea who was on the other end of that door.

His hands tightened into fists around the thin blanket covering his legs, and he waited cautiously in silence.

Dr. Anne Glass entered the room quietly, obviously still under the impression that Hal was sleeping. Her eyes meet his slowly, and a warm smile spreads over her face immediately. "Hal. It's so good to see you up. How are you feeling?"

"Where's Maggie?" Hal asked weakly, ignoring Anne's questions.

"Maggie's fine, Hal. Don't worry. She just stepped out for a moment to rest, by my orders. She hasn't left your side." Anne continued to smile as she made her way to Hal's side.

Hal sighed heavily and closed his eyes, relief flooding him. Maggie was okay. He opened his eyes slowly again. "Where… Where are we?" He asked hesitantly. "We're in Charleston, Hal. Weaver ordered us to move camp, and Colonel Porter found us as we reached Charleston's borders. He brought us here." Anne replaced Hal's IV bag carefully, and checked his stats to make sure everything was fine with him.

Hal rested his throbbing head back against the pillow, the pain growing quickly. He suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired. "What… Happened to me…?" His voice was little more than a mumble, and he was unconscious before he found an answer to his question.

* * *

"Hal?" He heard the voice call out his name a few times before, but he wasn't sure if it was real or a dream. "Hal?" Hal was certain it was real now, and he tried to put a face to the familiar voice. But his head was causing him such pain he couldn't think.

Hal's eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurry and clouded as his head throbbed. He managed to focus his eyes after a few moments, and he glanced in the direction he had heard the voice coming from.

Tom Mason stood to Hal's left, his face lit up at the sight of his now conscious son. "Dad?" Hal croaked weakly. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Dad, what... What happened...? Why am I here...?" Hal sounded confused and exhausted.

Tom smiled sadly at Hal, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Shh... It's okay, Hal. Everything's okay." Tom's voice was soothing, and he placed his hand gently on Hal's aching shoulder.

Hal was failed in being soothed or calmed, however. Tom hadn't answered his questions, and Hal felt he needed some answers. "Dad, what happened...? Why... Can't I remember anything...?"

Tom sighed, his tired face taking on a somewhat pained expression. He raised his hands to his face and rubbed harshly at his cheeks. He dropped his hands and looked at Hal, his expression pained and cautious. "Hal..." Tom began, but stopped as he seemed to fail at finding the right words.

"You... You don't remember anything...?" Tom asked hesitantly, watching Hal with concern. Hal shook his head slowly, his eyes set intently on his father's.

"Hal... You... You had a bug..." Tom looked down at his feet, his voice becoming quiet as he spoke that last word.

Hal's confusion grew. "A bug? What do you mean?"

Tom looked back at Hal, his eyes unreadable. "You had a bug, Hal. An Espheni bug. Like the one... Like the one I had..."

Hal's confused look quickly shifted into one of great fear and pain. "What happened, Dad?" Hal's voice was quiet and pained.

Tom swallowed tightly and closed his eyes for a moment, relieving the moments in that abandoned building, relieving Hal pressing the gun to his temple, him pulling the trigger.

"You..." Tom sighed and opened his eyes again. "Hal, you were controlled. The Espheni used you as a mole, of sorts. They used you to extract information about the attack we're planning on them. You..." Tom paused, needing to take a deep breath before speaking of what happened next. "You took me hostage, and attempted to get information out of me. You said... You put the gun to your head and said you would kill yourself unless I told you everything about the attack. You... Pulled the trigger, but I managed to push the gun away enough so that the bullet only grazed you. You bled so much..." Tom stops again and closes his eyes, remembering being drenched in his son's blood.

"We got you to a safe place. Ben managed to contact the rebel Skitters and they gave us... A device... It was Espheni technology, and it removed the bug... But we almost lost you... You were in such pain... Your screams..." Tom's breath was shaky, and he couldn't open his eyes yet. "Your heart stopped... The pain was too much, and your heart stopped. Anne barely saved you..." A tear slid from Tom's closed eye, and he pressed his lips together tightly to hold in the cry that threatened to escape his dry throat.

Hal felt his heart racing in his chest. It was pounding against his ribs, and it choked his trembling breath. He shuddered fiercely, and closed his eyes tightly.

Hal knew how much pain he had caused his father. He could see it. He had put his father, as well as himself, in danger. Hal could never forgive himself for that. He opened his eyes to find his father looking at him, his eyes red and slightly swollen from holding in tears. Hal felt an overwhelming guilt crash over him.

"Dad... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." Hal whispered, his voice cracking. He closed his eyes again and bit his lip hard to stop himself from crying. "I'm so sorry, Dad..."

Tom quickly moved to his son's side, sitting next to him. He pulled Hal into a tight, warm embrace, burying his face against Hal's shoulder. "Don't be sorry, Hal. You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay, son. It's going to be just fine."

Hal didn't hug his father back, nor did he reply to his soothing words. He simply stared past his father's head, his eyes glistening. Hal's mind was racing with memories of all the wrong he had done. He had let his mother die alone in the streets, and he had lost his little brother to the aliens after fighting with him over something completely ridiculous. He had endangered Matt's life by letting him tag along to rescue Tom. He had let all of those poor children get slaughtered by Karen and the mech, without putting up any sort of fight. He had put Maggie in danger simply by lying next to her while being controlled by the bug, and then he had held his father at gunpoint before turning the gun on himself and attempting suicide as his father watched helplessly.

Hal closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his cheek slowly. He bit the inside of his cheeks until he tasted blood. When he opened his eyes again, Hal Mason felt so unworthy of his father's loving embrace. He pulled back, a little harsher than he intended to. Tom's eyes filled with confusion.

"Dad, I... I'm really tired... I... I just want to sleep for a while..." Hal avoided his dad's eyes as he spoke.

Tom watched his son closely, noticing the faint tear streak on Hal's cheek. He knew his son was hurting terribly right now, and he decided that if what he needed was sleep, then he would give him that. Tom nodded and stood slowly, pressing a kiss to the top of Hal's head as he did so.

Hal's eyes closed painfully at this expression of love, and he sighed weakly. Tom left the room quietly, and Hal layed his head back gently. He felt hot tears fall down the side of his face and run into his hair. Hal was cripplingly exhausted, but he knew he had no hope of sleeping through this much guilt and pain.

* * *

Hal wasn't sure how much time had passed since the last time he had blinked, but his eyes were aching terribly. He closed them, wincing slightly. When he managed to open them again, he found he was no longer alone in his room.

She stood there, her usually guarded and unreadable face holding an incredibly vulnerable expression. Hal sat up quickly in his bed and held her unfaltering gaze. Maggie opened her mouth, as if to speak, but she only managed to release a soft, pained sigh.

"Hey." She finally managed to whisper, her eyes closing briefly. "Hey." Hal murmured gently.

Maggie didn't move closer to him, or further away. She stayed firmly where she was, and she met his gaze once again. Her eyes were tired and full of a mixture of emotions.

"Maggie..." Hal whispered, his eyes shutting tightly. "I'm so sorry..."

Hal kept his eyes shut, but he felt Maggie sit next to him gently, before taking his hand in both of hers.

"Hal Mason, don't you dare apologize for something you had no control over. Hey, look at me." He opened his eyes and met hers carefully. Her face was serious and her expression persistent. "You got it? Don't do that to yourself. You don't deserve that." Her voice was soft and caring, but firm.

Hal was unable to hide the pain he was feeling from Maggie. She saw it immediately, and she quickly pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing his face hard into her warm neck.

He couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks as he held her. His grip around her tightened as his aching mind was flooded with reminders of all the terrible things he had done. All the lives he had put at risk, all the lives that had been lost because he failed to fight for them.

A choked sob barely escaped his lips, but Maggie caught it. She pulled back gently and held his face in her hands, looking deep into his agonized eyes. "I know what you're thinking, how you're feeling. But you can't blame yourself, Hal. You couldn't have done anything to stop what happened. No one could have."

Hal looked at her, his face expressing such pain that it broke Maggie's heart.

"I've done so many terrible things, Maggie... It all just keeps replaying in my head... I want it to stop, but it won't... I... Can't make it stop..." Hal's voice sounded broken and tired.

Maggie stroked away a tear as it escaped his eye with her thumb. He looked down at his hands for a moment, hating that she was seeing him so vulnerable.

Maggie put her finger beneath his chin and gently tugged his face back up so he was looking into her eyes again. She thought about her next words carefully. "Lay with me." She said quietly.

They both relaxed on their sides, their faces just inches from each other. Hal reached up and tucked a strand of fallen hair behind Maggie's ear, and then let his finger trace a gentle line down her cheek and to her lips. He ran his fingers over her lips softly, feeling them, and her eyes closed.

She opened them again and met his intense hazel eyes.

"Hal..." Maggie's voice was just a breath. "Everything that's happened... You couldn't have done anything... You know that, don't you?"

"No." Hal smiled sadly at her. "I know I wasn't in control, with the bug, but I could have fought harder and overcome it. I know I could have. And with everything else... The mech with the kids, Matt getting hurt, my mom... That's all on me." He let out a small sigh and glanced away. "I've done so much that I can't take back."

Maggie watched him for a moment, hoping that he couldn't tell how upset she was. She swallowed loudly before letting out a long, shaky breath.

"Hal... Baby... Look at me." He met her eyes reluctantly, his heart fluttering a little as she called him 'baby'.

Hal was tired. His eyes had terribly dark circles under them, and they were so bloodshot that there was almost no white left to them. His skin was pale, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that his cheeks were a little sunken. He was worn.

"We're going to get through this, Hal." Maggie continued, speaking slowly and carefully. "We've gotten through every other shitty thing that's happened to us in this terrible world, and we'll get through this. We'll get revenge, payback. Together." A small smile spread across her lips as she searched through his beautiful, pure eyes for a reaction.

Hal was silent for a moment, his expression almost cautious. "As a team...?" He asked, a smile forming on his lips slowly.

Maggie felt her heart surge as she saw this smile on his face. She felt a tear run down her face, but she ignored it. She bit her lip softly and nodded, her smile widening. "As a team."

And they would get payback as a team. Hal knew this. They both did. They would do whatever they had to in order to bring Karen and all of the Espheni down to their knees, begging for mercy.

Hal had so much anger, so much hate for them that he knew he would stop at nothing to kill every last alien on this planet, including, and especially, Karen. He wanted to bring them all down, and make them suffer for all that they've done.

But for now, as Hal layed here with Maggie, he felt some of that anger and hatred melt away for a moment. As he looked into her beautiful, clear eyes, he felt something that was more worth fighting for than all the anger and hatred in the world. He felt love. And it was so true, so real, and he knew she felt it, too.

Hal held Maggie close to him, their bodies pressed firmly against each other. He felt Maggie drift off into a deep, peaceful sleep after several long minutes. Hal closed his eyes tight and pulled her just a little closer to him, pressing a soft kiss into her hair. He let out a deep sigh, relief flooding him, because Maggie was here, with him, and he knew that soon they would both have their revenge.


	9. Feeble Promises

Hal was released from the hospital two days later, feeling very weak and very tired. He hadn't slept at all since he learned of the bug that had possessed his body, the bug that caused him to do things he could never forgive himself for.

Maggie had stayed with him the whole time he was in the hospital, only leaving his side for very short bathroom breaks or patrol duty. Hal felt guilty. He knew how terribly frightened and concerned she was for him, and despite his best efforts to convince her he was fine, he knew she didn't believe him.

It was difficult adjusting to the new location in Charleston, getting used to living in hospital bedrooms rather than pisspoor tents in the mud. Hal knew it was silly, but having the luxury of sleeping in an actual bed in an actual room made him feel almost spoiled.

Despite the overwhelming exhaustion that threatened to consume Hal, he decided to go and find his youngest brother.

During the entire time that Hal had spent cooped up in bed, Matt had failed to visit him even once. He had asked his father several times why Matt wouldn't come to see him, but Tom always gave him the same vague response while avoiding eye contact with Hal: "Matt's, uh… He's just tired, Hal. He's been helping Lourdes out a lot lately, keeping her company. He'll be by soon, I'm sure."

Hal didn't remember anything about the time he spent under the control of the aliens. But he knew Matt, and he knew that no matter how tired or busy he was, he was always eager to see his family. Which led Hal to the only conclusion he found to be logical: Hal had done something to Matt when the bug had been in control.

Just the thought that this was possible made Hal's stomach churn and his heart break. Hal cared for Matt almost as if he were his own son, and Hal had made a promise, to himself, his mother, his father, that he would always take care of his brothers, no matter what. And he had failed to do that. He had broken the single most important promise he could ever make, and that killed Hal.

Hal's tired, aching legs led him slowly towards the room Ben had said the Mason Men were sharing. He wasn't sure that Matt would be here, but he figured it was a good start.

Hal hesitated outside the dusty glass door for several moments before slowly turning the knob and entering quietly.

Hal's guess had proved to be a good one. In the far corner of the small room, Hal spotted Matt sitting on the floor next to a faded arm chair, his knees pulled up to his chest protectively. He wore an expression that looked as if it belonged to a man, not a young boy.

Matt's eyes lifted to meet Hal's as he heard the door close softly. Hal noted a flicker of fear in his bright eyes, and he felt a sharp pain sting his chest.

Matt's eyes quickly fell back to a spot on the floor, and he cradled his legs closer to him.

"Hey, buddy." Hal said quietly, taking a small step inside the room.

Matt said nothing, but instead rested his chin against his knees, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Hal took a few steps closer to Matt, but stopped when he noticed Matt scooting further into the corner. Hal's breath hitched silently, and he swallowed tightly.

"What's wrong, Matt?" He asked, his voice soft and warm, like the Hal Matt had always known.

But Matt believed with all of his heart that the person standing before him was not his big brother, the person Matt looked up to and aspired to be so desperately. Matt knew that Hal, and the person that he had seen strapped to that bed just days before was not his Hal, and Matt seriously doubted that this now was the Hal he knew.

"You're not my brother." Matt mumbled, his voice low and slightly angry.

Hal felt his heart throb in his chest painfully at his brother's words. His fears had now been officially confirmed.

"Matt, I'm Hal-" Hal began quietly, but Matt interrupted.

"No! I know my brother, and you aren't him! My brother would never do those mean things, he would never put a gun to our dad!" Matt's voice had risen significantly, it was almost a yell now. He pushed himself to his feet quickly, but he didn't move any closer to Hal.

Hal looked into his brother's eyes closely, and he saw a great amount of pain and fear in them. He bit his tongue to keep from crying. Hal exhaled heavily, his breath shaky.

"Matt, I promise it's me. I know… I know it wasn't before, and I'm so sorry, Matt. I'm so incredibly sorry. But you have to believe me, buddy. It's me now. Look at me. It's Hal." Hal's voice was pleading, his eyes filled with desperation and sorrow.

Matt reluctantly looked into his big brother's eyes. He didn't see the anger and betrayal he had before, he didn't see any reason to fear these eyes. Matt bit his lip uncertainly, his big eyes returning to their usually innocent form. He fiddled with a string hanging off his ripped cargo pants for a moment before speaking.

"What's my nickname…?" Matt asked, his voice so vulnerable and young. Hal was a little taken aback by this sudden question, but he felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"Come here, Casper." Hal mumbled gently, his face lit with a warm smile. When Matt was very young, he had been obsessed with ghost stories. He would drape white sheets and pillowcases over himself and hide in any nook or cranny he could manage to squeeze into, then wait until someone walked by and jump out at them, nearly scaring them to death. Hal had jokingly started calling him Casper, and the name had just stuck.

Matt slowly beamed at Hal before running quickly to him, jumping into his brother's tight embrace. Hal picked Matt up and held him for several moments, his eyes closed tightly, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted from his chest.

Matt kept his arms wrapped tightly around Hal's neck, fearing he would lose his brother again if he let go.

"Hal…" Matt whispered into Hal's ear, sounding uncertain.

"Yeah, buddy?" Hal murmured soothingly.

"When I saw you strapped to that bed… There was something different about you… Your eyes were really dark, and you yelled at me… You didn't sound like you…" Matt's arms tightened around Hal's neck, and he felt his brother shiver slightly at the memory.

Hal held Matt tighter, pressing a kiss to the side of his head reassuringly. "I know, Matt. I'm so sorry. I promise I won't ever be like that again. I'm going to keep you safe. You trust me, don't you?"

Matt nodded and pressed his face into Hal's shoulder roughly, feeling hot tears streak down his small cheeks.

Hal kissed Matt's head again, squeezing him comfortingly. "I promise I won't ever let anything happen to you, Matt. I promise."

* * *

Hal checked the ammo in his gun for the _nth_ time, making sure it was fully loaded. He patted down his legs and chest, double-checking to assure himself all his blades were securely in place.

Hal, Maggie, Ben, Dai, Tector, Anthony, Pope, Crazy Lee, Lyle, Weaver, Tom, and a few soldiers from the Charleston militia were all preparing to do a scouting mission to Boston. It was a long, dangerous trip, but one of great importance.

Tom and Weaver had been collaborating, planning a huge attack on the Espheni. They had been working out the details for months, according to Tom. The organized group of scouters only knew what was necessary, nothing more. Only Weaver, Tom, and the rebel Skitters knew everything. They were the ones providing the necessary weapons for this attack.

Ben had been in the room as all the details were discussed, but he hadn't really been there. He had just been a communicator, a translator for the rebel Skitters. He remembered nothing of the conversations that happened.

The Charleston soldiers were ordered to accompany the members of the 2nd Mass on their journey by one of their leaders, General Cole Bressler. Bressler was a very cautious person, especially of people he did not know very well, so he had concerns of the 2nd Mass leading the Espheni back to Charleston. He had ordered a few of his best soldiers to go with them, to "keep an eye out."

Hal sighed as he waited for the order to move out. He knew it was probably too soon for him to be up and doing so much, especially something this stressful. But there was no way he would miss this attack. Not after everything the aliens had done to him and his family. Hal felt it was something he had to do, no matter what his physical or emotional state was like.

Hal glanced to his side and spotted Maggie, tucking a knife safely into one of her combat boots. He smirked a little as she caught his glance. He could already see the fire in her eyes, the eagerness for a fight. She was a fighter, there was no doubt about that. Hal loved that about her.

Maggie mirrored his smirk and made her way to him, where he rested against his bike. She looked him up and down, a flicker of concern in her eyes, but she held up the small smile.

"You sure you're up for this, old man?" She asked, her voice taunting him playfully. "I mean, you're looking a little rusty there." She was smiling playfully, but Hal detected a concerned undertone.

He opened his mouth in mock awe. "Oh, I'm the old one? Big talk coming from Miss _Margaret._" Hal scoffed, reminding her of a conversation they had a lifetime ago.

She seemed to forget about the worry she was feeling for him for a moment, which was what he had aimed to do. She worried about him too much, and Hal knew it took a toll on her. He would do anything to relieve her of that worry, even if for only a brief moment.

They bantered about for a while, both equally relieved to feel some stress lifted from their shoulders. But, as always, the stress and worry crept its way back to them, once again resting back into its permanent residence in their hearts.

Maggie was the first to acknowledge it. Her playful laugh slowly faded, and her face took on a more serious expression. She looked up to find Hal watching her, mild concern in his eyes.

"Hal, I know you feel like this is what you have to do." Maggie started slowly, her voice slightly guarded. "But... You've been through a lot. And I know it's hitting you harder than you let on... I just... I want to make sure you're positive this is what you need to do. I need to know you're certain this is what's best for you. Because I can't... I need my partner by my side, not in a hole." She finished, her voice grave and dark, avoiding eye contact with Hal.

"Hey. Maggie, look at me." Hal whispered, putting his hand gently to Maggie's face and tugging her gaze back to his. He saw distinct fear in her beautiful brown eyes, guarded heavily by anger and determination. "Maggie, I'm positive. This is where I need to be. I'm going to be fine. We all will. Have a little faith in me, huh?" He gave her a small smile, hoping to reassure her.

Maggie clenched her jaw and opened her mouth to tell Hal she would always have faith in him, but she knew he was struggling with everything he had been through, and she was just worried this might affect his abilities in combat.

But Maggie was cut off by Captain Weaver, who stuck his dirty head out of a Humvee's window, and shouted, "All right, people! Let's move out!"

Maggie sighed heavily at her unspoken words and gave Hal a look telling him to be safe. She started to brush past him to get back to her bike, but was stopped when Hal put a gentle hand on her arm and pulled her back to him. He pressed his lips unexpectedly to hers, passion, reassurance, and love all melting from him to her.

They pulled back reluctantly, their foreheads leaning together for a long moment, Hal holding Maggie's hands in his, before she pulled away gently with a small sigh and strode quickly back to her bike.

Hal kicked the stand up and revved the engine loudly, then pulled out quickly, racing ahead of the Humvees with Maggie close behind.

As he sped down the broken, damp streets, Hal felt a new sense of hope and determination settle into his worn body. He was on his way to get the revenge he so desperately longed for, so desperately needed. It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

"All right! We're about halfway there, people! Good work! Now, let's pull over for the night and set up camp! We'll head out first thing in the morning!" Weaver's voice boomed through the calm night air.

The group had pulled over while Hal, Dai and Maggie scouted the area to make sure they were in the clear. When they reported no alien activity in the area, Weaver decided they were all due for a good rest before embarking out in the morning.

Pope and his Beserkers stood off, fairly close to Hal, chatting easily about nothing in particular, Pope's snide voice overtaking their conversation from time to time.

Tom and Weaver had wandered off to the side and were in what appeared to be a very serious conversation. Hal watched them from a distance, wondering what exactly this attack would do.

His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice slipped into his ears. Hal turned and met Ben's even stare. He gave a half grin and squeezed his brother's shoulder lightly.

"What's up?" Hal asked, holding in a yawn.

Ben eyed him cautiously, then shrugged a little. "Just thought I'd see how you were doing."

Hal smiled a little and gave a slight nod. "Good, I'm good. What about you?" Hal's voice was friendly and easy-going, as always, but there was something else there. Ben caught it.

Ben looked at his brother, noting the deep exhaustion in his eyes, the paleness of his skin, the tightness of his jaw. He could see the anger in his usually light and kind eyes. He could see pain in them, and this caused Ben to feel a terrible sadness.

Ben shrugged again, his features remaining casual. "Fine. What do you think they're talking about?" He gestured towards Tom and Captain Weaver, sensing that Hal didn't want to get into a deep conversation about his feelings right now.

Hal turned back to them and sighed. He ran his hand through his sweaty hair and then dropped it to his temple, rubbing at it angrily. His head was pounding.

"I guess the attack. Going over strategies. I can't imagine they'd be thinking of anything else right now." Hal stated, watching his father's face as he spoke quietly to Weaver. "I just hope they've really thought this through, you know? If this attack is as big as they're saying it is, then we all need to be as prepared as possible..." Hal's voice trailed off suddenly as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up.

Hal glanced up at the seemingly clear sky, and Ben followed his gaze. "What is it?" Ben asked quietly, his eyes falling back to Hal's suddenly concerned face.

"I... I don't know. I just... Something feels off..." Hal's voice was faint, his mind clearly somewhere else.

"I'm sure it's jus..." Ben started, but he, too, quickly trailed off as he heard a distant sound in the sky. His head snapped up and his eyes frantically searched the black sky, but he saw nothing. He met Hal's worried eyes and just as Ben opened his mouth to ask if Hal had heard it, too, the sky lit up brightly above them, followed by a deafening explosion that ripped viciously through the air.

"Get down!" Hal roared, diving at Ben protectively. He knocked Ben to the ground, his body shielding him from the explosion.

Hal felt the overpowering heat wave first, then the splitting pain. Then, Hal felt nothing at all.

* * *

Hal felt himself slipping back into consciousness slowly, painfully. He made out a faint voice, and he tried to follow it, but he kept losing it.

"Hal." He heard it more clearly this time, and he forced himself to stay with it, to follow it back to the real world. His eyes creaked open after several long minutes.

He expected to be blinded by lights of some sort, as he had at the hospital, but he found himself in a very dark space.

Hal attempted to lift his head, but immediately regretted doing so. He groaned weakly as an unbearable pain ripped through his skull. He tasted blood in his mouth, and he coughed lightly to clear some of it. His entire body ached terribly, especially in his side and chest. He lifted his head one more time, trying to ignore the splitting pain in his skull.

He moaned loudly as he moved. He looked down at his body, and as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he found that he was strapped to a cold, long metal table.

"Hal!" His head snapped to his right, searching for her. The sudden movement caused him to nearly black out from the pain, and he bit his lip harshly to keep from crying out.

"Maggie?" Hal croaked, his voice weak and pained. He blinked in the direction of her hushed voice. He was barely able to make out her figure in the dark, but he managed.

Maggie lay on a table approximately five feet from Hal's, also strapped down tightly. She was weakly struggling against the restraints, her head cocked slightly in Hal's direction.

"Maggie, are you okay?" Hal managed to choke out, before a low moan of pain escaped his lips. His head fell back softly against the table and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just can't get out of these damn cords!" She mumbled, faintly. He heard her groan in frustration.

Hal suddenly remembered his father and brother, and his panic shot up. He opened his eyes, and as he was about to ask about them, Maggie spoke. "Tom and Ben are okay, too, but I think they passed back out." She sighed.

Hal felt relief flood through him and he let his head rest back once more.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all fine, Bug-Eye." Hal heard Pope's gruff voice come from his left. "But where the hell are we, exactly?" He asked, his voice boiling with anger.

"Well, maybe I can answer that, Pope."

Hal felt his blood run cold. His eyes shot open, all pain forgotten. Maggie had fallen silent next to Hal as well, and he knew her expression would be one of blood lust.

"Hello, Hal. I've missed you." Karen spoke, the snarly grin apparent through her voice.

Hal was frozen, and at that moment, he felt certain that he wouldn't be making it back to a warm surface.


	10. Dripping Through the Cracks

Hal's heart pounded in his chest so hard that he was certain it could be heard from a mile away.

But he soon found that the fear that seemed to consume him was replaced with anger. Boiling, raging anger. His mind flashed with all the things that the aliens had done. Everything they had put him through, put his family through.

Hal heard Tom stirring from somewhere behind him, moaning slightly.

Hal gritted his teeth until he couldn't feel his jaw anymore. The anger inside him began to overwhelm him, and he thrashed against the restraints furiously, ignoring the blinding pain that ripped through his body.

"Gahhhhhhaggh!" Hal roared, the veins in his neck pulsing out furiously as he desperately thrashed against the restraints holding him down. The whole room had fallen silent now, the kind of silent that made your skin crawl.

Hal looked to Maggie quickly, still struggling against his restraints, but he saw that she was frozen, her body frighteningly still. Her neck was craned up, watching Karen's dim figure closely, and her hands were curled into tight, threatening fists at her side.

Tom now seemed to be slightly awake and aware of the situation, and he called out to them. "Hal, Ben?" His voice was frantic, and rushed.

Hal slowly began to settle down, his strength waning significantly. He breathed out heavily and looked back to where Karen stood at the foot of his table. She lifted her hand and rested it gently on Hal's boot. Hal flinched, his eyes flicking with anger.

"Hal, you've been a bad boyfriend, you know that?" Karen said, her voice almost playful. "I mean, here I am, remaining faithful to you, after ALL THIS TIME, but you… You jump into bed with the first cute biker you come across as soon as I'm gone. It's shameful, really."

Karen slowly stepped to the side of Hal's bed, her hand still firmly rested on his boot. He watched her with absolute caution as she took a few short steps closer to him, her hand slowly dragging up his leg.

"I have missed you so much, Hal. All those patrols we ran together, just the two of us. The feeling of your hand in mine, your lips pressed to mine." Karen's voice was almost innocent, but it was slowly rising with each word. Hal cringed as her hand reached his thigh. She hesitated for a moment, her hand tracing circles on the top of his leg.

"All I've wanted is to feel all of that again. I thought we could have that, once I put the bug in you. I thought you would want to help me then, to side with me and help me do what I had to do. I wanted you to give me the information I needed so we could finally be with each other again. But you just keep pulling further and further from me. I only want to be with you, Hal." Karen stopped now, just inches from Hal's sweating head. She raised her hand to his face, stroking his cheek softly, her head cocked to the side as she looked down upon him.

"Get away from him!" Tom yelled, now fully aware of the situation. Hal turned his head from her as best he could, and he caught a glimpse of Pope struggling to break free.

Karen froze as Hal recoiled from her touch. Her jaw tightened and she pulled her hand away quickly. "But we don't always get what we want, now do we, Hal?" Karen finished, the fury evident in her voice.

Hal turned to face her reluctantly, his breathing hard and erratic as the anger inside of him boiled.

Karen smirked at him, then kissed the palm of her hand. She let her tongue run up her hand as she pulled it from her face. She pressed the wet palm to Hal's forehead and rubbed it harshly down to his chin, her hand lingering at his lips for a moment.

Hal ripped his head away quickly, spitting at her as he did so. She smirked again in response, before turning on her heels and stepping slyly to Maggie's table.

Hal immediately thrashed, his body colliding fiercely with the tight straps draped over his body. "Get away from her!" He growled, his voice low and dark. Tom yelled something incoherent from behind them, his table rattling as he struggled against the tight restraints.

Karen ignored Hal and Tom and continued to Maggie's side. Maggie was tense and rigid as she lay defenseless on the cold table, but she showed no emotion on her face as Karen approached her.

Pope growled angrily as he failed yet again to break free of his restraints, and he glanced over at Hal, who was also struggling relentlessly to escape. Even in the dark setting, Pope could see the determination and fury on Hal's face as Karen leaned down to Maggie's face.

Karen leaned in close to Maggie's face, a gnarly grin settled on her twisted features. Maggie struggled angrily to turn away, but Karen grabbed her roughly by the cheeks and forced her to remain where she was.

Maggie met Karen's eyes easily, a scowl on her face. Karen opened her mouth as if to speak, but stopped, cocking her head to the side. She leaned in closer to Maggie, her head hovering just above her chest. She seemed to listen for a moment, and then a devilish smile spread slowly across her face.

"She's scared, Hal." Karen said slowly, sounding cheerful.

Hal stopped struggling, pain glazing over the rage in his eyes for a moment. He swallowed tightly, looking to Maggie quickly. She was glaring straight at Karen, her eyes never faltering.

Karen turned back to Hal, her face beaming. "She's absolutely terrified. Practically shivering with fear." Karen took a step away from Maggie, her eyes still locked with Hal's. "Maggie, Maggie. Not so strong now, is she Hal?" Karen chuckled a little, sounding so unfamiliar to Hal.

"Now…" Karen started slowly, walking around Maggie's table and bending over. When she stood again, she was holding what appeared to be a long stick. She twirled it slightly, turning it over and over in her hands.

"I know what Maggie's afraid of. But what about you, Hal?" She walked over to Hal, almost strutting. She held the stick a little higher, and the tip of it suddenly glowed a fierce blue as it crackled loudly. Hal flinched, but kept his gaze steady on Karen.

Then, Karen thrust the stick into Hal's side harshly, the impact alone painful. He felt an electric shock rush inside of him quickly, and he howled.

"Agghhhgghah!" He felt his chest radiating with a pain so powerful he couldn't breathe. He screamed and growled in pain, his voice cracking and shaking. He could only vaguely make out the pleading screams of Maggie, his father, and even Pope.

Karen slowly pulled the stick back, leaving Hal choking for air, his face contorted into one of agony. Karen watched him, curiosity filling her demented eyes.

Hal choked and gagged with each breath he took, but he managed to smile spitefully at Karen.

"Is that… The... Best you… Got...?" He panted out, laughing weakly.

Maggie felt her heart soar at Hal's resistance to give Karen what she wanted: his fear. Even when he was in so much pain, and when he had to be terribly frightened, he still managed to put on a brave face and fight back.

Tom watched his son, a mixture of pride and pain filling his sad eyes. He was so proud of his son for having the strength to fight back, after everything that had happened. But he was screaming on the inside, his heart breaking as he watched the excruciating pain his boy was forced to endure.

Karen's face remained cool, but in her eyes there was a flicker of doubt and fear. She gritted her teeth and turned so fast Hal could barely track her movement. Without any hesitation, Karen jabbed the stick into Maggie. Maggie released a heartbreaking shriek of agony, her body shaking as the angry bolts jolted through her.

Hal jerked against the restraints with all the force he had, screaming furiously. He felt the straps dig roughly into his chest and arms as he tried to force his way through, and he felt small streams of warm blood roll down his sides and wrists as they dug deeper and deeper into the skin.

"Maggie! Maggie, it's okay! Just listen to my voice, Maggie! Hear my voice!" Hal screamed, his voice strong and reassuring. He kept thrashing about, ignoring the ropes that continued to rip into his flesh, and he heard Tom and Pope yelling out to Maggie as well. He felt the ropes loosening slightly, and this motivated him even more.

Maggie's screams began to fade off slowly, despite Karen still thrusting the stick into her body.

"Maggie, stay with my voice!" Hal yelled, finally managing to break one of his arms loose. He payed no mind to the heavy flow of blood that pulsed from the thick wound in his wrist.

Karen seemed lost in her own little world of destruction and malice. She had a wild, evil grin on her face as she watched Maggie shaking violently with each bolt.

Hal had never had so much adrenaline flow into his veins at one time. He felt no pain, no weakness. All he felt was an overwhelming need to get to Maggie at that exact moment.

He wasn't sure how, but with the one hand he had to use, he managed to free himself. He made no hesitant moves. As soon as he was completely free of the bonds, in one swift movement, he jumped from the table and rushed Karen.

He grabbed her ratty ponytail and jerked her back quickly, causing the stick to fall from her hands. Maggie lay unconscious on the table, her body dreadfully still.

Hal yanked Karen back enough that he was able to reach her throat, and he grabbed it roughly, lifting her slightly before slamming her powerfully into the ground.

Karen choked, her eyes fluttering weakly. Hal lifted his foot to slam on her head, but he stopped suddenly as his eyes caught sight of what he had previously failed to see: a Skitter lurking in the shadows.

Hal had no time to react, no time to move or duck. He was defenseless.

The Skitter jumped through the air at Hal, releasing a low hissing screech. It slammed into Hal, and he felt a sharp, agonizing pain spread through his shoulder and into his chest. He choked, slightly, a small pained sigh escaping his lips. He glanced down and saw that the Skitter's claw was wedged deeply into the upper part of his chest, just below his left shoulder.

"Hal!" Tom screamed, his voice shaking with fear and rage.

Hal coughed weakly, feeling a small amount of blood rise from his throat and seep into his dry mouth.

The Skitter pulled its claw out quickly, backing away from Hal.

Hal fell to his knees weakly. His vision was becoming blurry, and he felt numb everywhere. The only thing he truly felt was the fast, heavy flow of blood that swam down his body, soaking his shirt immediately.

He didn't fall over, he didn't pass out. Instead, Hal rested on his knees, his arms dangling weakly at his sides.

Time seemed to stop. He didn't notice the Skitter pulling Karen's limp body from the room, leaving them alone momentarily. He didn't notice that Pope had also managed to free himself, and that he was now kneeling down in front of Hal, uncharacteristically concerned. He didn't notice him leaving his side to free Tom of his bonds, or when they both returned to his side. He didn't notice the tears flowing down Tom's cheeks, didn't hear his frantic questions.

He didn't notice Pope pulling off his over-shirt and wadding it up tightly, attempting to stop the bleeding in Hal's chest. He didn't notice Tom pulling him gently back into his chest, holding him tightly. Hal felt disconnected from his body. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Hal felt himself fading into the darkness too quickly. He struggled to keep his eyes open, and he couldn't hear Tom and Pope urging him to stay awake. He blinked his heavy eyes towards where Maggie still lay, resting his tired gaze on her hand.

Hal struggled to do something as simple as lift his hand from his lap, but he found enough strength to reach out to her now.

His hand scraped against the back of hers weakly before he found her fingers and laced his own through them. He felt so tired. He couldn't help but let his eyes close.

"Hey, Prince Charming, stay with us." Pope said firmly. He felt a twinge of something in his chest, sadness maybe, as he saw Hal weakly reach for Maggie's hand and hold it as his eyes closed.

Hal was a mess, Pope knew it. He wasn't sure how long he would last with a wound like this. Judging from the small amount of blood Hal had coughed up, Pope figured his lung was slowly filling with blood. Pope was fairly certain he could stop the bleeding on the outside, or at least slow it down, which would buy him some time. Depending on how fast his lung was filling up would be the major determining factor in Hal's survival.

"Hal, stay with me. Stay with me, son. Keep your eyes open." Tom murmured softly into his son's hair. But Hal didn't hear him.

Hal squeezed Maggie's hand softly before he managed to speak. "I… love you." He breathed. Then his hand slowly fell to the ground, and he let himself drift off into the blissful quietness of the dark.


	11. Promises Never Kept

_"Hal. Open your eyes." Maggie's soft, light voice drifted through Hal's jumbled mind, and he opened his eyes very slowly._

_The light was blinding at first, and he squinted in pain. Once he adjusted to the brightness, his eyes focused on her, her gold hair shimmering beautifully in the sunlight._

_Hal sat up easily, expecting to feel the pain he had become so accustomed to, but found none. Maggie was squatting next to him, her arms resting on her knees. She was smiling, her eyes shining playfully._

_Hal looked around them, his eyes sweeping over the area cautiously. They were on a beach, resting in the comfortable shade of the grassy dunes. He looked out at the somewhat distant waves crashing on the shore, and he felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. He turned his gaze back to Maggie, who was watching him closely._

_"Maggie, what… How did we get here?" Hal asked, his eyes searching through hers carefully._

_Maggie bit her lip, seeming to ponder his question. She hesitated for a long moment, her gaze never falling from his. After a few moments, she gave a gentle smile. She stood up, grabbing Hal's hand as she did so. She pulled him to his feet and gave a light laugh._

_"Follow me." She said, her smile widening._

_She pulled Hal through the dunes, moving effortlessly over the soft sand. Once they reached the edge of the shore, Maggie dropped Hal's hand, and broke out in a sprint._

_"Come on!" She yelled, her voice light and playfully._

_Hal hesitated for a long moment, not because he didn't want to follow her, but because he wanted to watch her. He felt overcome with happiness as he watched her run towards the gentle waves. He took in every detail. Her hair bouncing on her shoulders as she ran, the way her feet seemed to hop more than sprint, how incredibly graceful she was despite the unevenness of the sand._

_Hal watched as she reached the shoreline, her feet slightly sinking into the wet sand. She turned to find him standing where he had been moments before, and she cocked her head a little._

_"A little motivation, then?" She called, a smirk taking residence on her features._

_Hal raised his eyebrows as she began to undress herself. She pulled her shirt off first, tossing it to the side. Then she smoothly unhooked her bra, letting it fall to her feet. She paused, meeting his gaze evenly, the playful smile faded and replaced with a serious, intent look. Then she gently unbuttoned her pants, pulling off the rest with them._

_Maggie stood there, completely exposed and vulnerable to Hal Mason. He was a little taken aback by her beauty. She stood there, looking a little uncertain, like maybe undressing herself had been too presumptuous. She looked at her feet, shifting a little, before glancing back at Hal._

_Maggie found he was slowly making his way to her, his gaze unfaltering. Hal finally reached her, pausing as he did so. He looked into her eyes, and she saw something she never knew could exist for her: undeniable, uncontrollable love._

_Hal reached out, cupping her cheek gently. He let out a small breath, then he swallowed tightly, almost like he was having difficulty controlling his emotions._

_And he was. As Hal looked at Maggie, in this moment, he realized how incredibly impossible life without her would be. Life without her was redundant, because it wouldn't be life. There would be no point to it, no meaning. It would be impossible to live without her, because life would simply cease to exist anymore._

_Hal made no hesitation. He moved his hand to the back of Maggie's head, and he pulled her to him quickly, but gently. He pressed his lips to hers softly, yet with so much passion that Maggie lost her breath._

_Hal moved so that he was pressed firmly against her naked body, and he pressed his free hand to the small of her back, his other hand still tangled in Maggie's golden curls. She put both of her hands to his face, holding him as close to her as their bodies would allow._

_Maggie pulled back then, inhaling deeply and shakily. Her wide brown eyes met his intense hazel eyes. She gave a small smile, her eyes sparkling._

_"How about it, then, soldier boy? Want to take this to the water?" She asked quietly, kissing him once more, letting her lips linger on his for a long moment._

_Hal gave a half smile, sending Maggie's heart into hysterics._

_"To the water, my love." He said, speaking with such intensity._

_As Maggie pulled back to head for the water, Hal undressed himself, throwing his clothes off to the side next to Maggie's heap._

_Hal ran a little, catching up to Maggie. He grabbed her hand without stopping, and pulled her with him, laughing easily. She laughed, too, and picked up her pace to match his._

_Hal sped up, and without warning, he threw both of them into the warm, crashing waves. The water felt so good to Hal's skin that he nearly whimpered in joy. As he resurfaced, he was splashed in the face by Maggie, who wore a goofy smile._

_Hal splashed her back, laughing, feeling completely carefree for the first time in what he could swear was a lifetime._

_They played for a while, splashing and tossing each other into the rolling waves. But soon they found themselves captured in a more intimate moment, their giggles and smirks fading into longing, passionate looks._

_Hal moved closer to Maggie, pulling her wet, exposed body to his. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, placing her arms around his neck. He held her this way, his hands resting firmly on her back, for several moments. They looked into each others' eyes, and then they kissed._

_Hal kept his eyes shut tightly, letting himself get lost in the moment. His hands moved over her body gently, yet certainly. He moved his body closer to hers, his grip on her back tightening._

_He moved his lips down Maggie's face, letting them fall to her neck. She tilted her head back, allowing him more room. He let his kiss trail down further, reaching her chest, which was just barely above the gentle water._

_Hal moved once more, then, allowing them to be completely and utterly connected. Maggie held on to Hal so tightly, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted. Hal pulled her closer, and they both found themselves completely submerged in this moment they had, as one._

_After the shortest lifetime either of them could have ever imagines, they found themselves washed up on the shore, resting in each others' arms, wet sand molding around them._

_Hal rubbed his thumb up and down Maggie's arm soothingly, her head resting on his chest. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the sweet warmth of the sun, and he released a small, satisfied sigh. This was the happiest Hal had ever felt, before the war or after._

_Maggie's grip around his waist tightened suddenly, and Hal opened his eyes, glancing down at her. Her eyes were open, staring out blankly in front of her. She seemed lost in a different world._

_"You okay?" Hal asked quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Maggie didn't respond, or even acknowledge that he had spoken._

_"Maggie?" Hal sat up a little, knocking Maggie out of her reverie. She glanced up at him, her eyes hardened with an intense darkness, her mouth taking the form of a deep frown._

_"What's wrong?" Hal asked, unable to contain the concern he felt._

_Maggie waited a long moment, so long that Hal began to think she hadn't heard him. Finally she spoke, her voice low and cautious._

_"This can't last, Hal." She watched him, her gaze falling to his chin._

_"What do you mean? Maggie, what's wrong?" Hal sat up entirely now, still holding Maggie close to him. He looked at her, confusion in his beautiful eyes. She swallowed tightly and met his eyes once more, fear and pain distinct on her previously carefree face. Her eyes seemed to glaze over, and she took in a deep, shaky breath._

_"It hurts." Maggie's voice sounded choked, and her face scrunched up like she might be sick._

_Hal moved quickly, so that he was kneeling before her. He searched Maggie over thoroughly, the panic clear on his face. He met her gaze once more, his eyes wide._

_"What hurts, Maggie? Where are you hurt?"_

_But Maggie didn't answer him. Instead, she clutched at her side desperately and let out an agonized cry. She fell back to the sand, her eyes squeezed shut._

_"Maggie!" Hal brushed hair out of her face, his hands shaking slightly. He put his hand to the side of her face, breathing heavily as he tried to figure out what could be wrong and what he should do to fix it._

_Maggie's eyes opened and she searched for Hal through the pain that consumed her. She was gasping for air, her hands pressed tightly to her side._

_"It… Can't last, Hal…" Maggie panted. "You... have to... wake up."_

_Hal's breathing became more heavy as the panic really set in. Maggie wasn't making any sense. He suddenly looked at the beach, not as a safe haven a comfortable place for Maggie and Hal to share alone in peace, but instead as a cruel trick, a deceiver. He had no idea where they were, how they had gotten here, how far away help was. And he wasn't sure what was wrong with Maggie, but he felt sick to his stomach as he watched her writhe in pain on the wet sand beneath them._

_Maggie reached up at Hal now, her hand trembling violently. She grabbed the back of his neck harshly and looked at him, her eyes more serious than he had ever seen._

_"Wake up, Hal. You have to wake up."_

* * *

Hal's eyes opened so quickly now that he felt sick. He gasped desperately for air. He felt like he was suffocating. The world in front of him swirled terribly, and he suddenly became aware of a pain in his chest so excruciating that he couldn't breathe.

Hal began to cough violently, and he felt blood rising into his mouth with each heave of his chest.

The blood began to seep out of the sides of his mouth, and he choked for a moment, swallowing a mouthful of it.

"Your lungs are filling with blood, Hal. Pretty soon you'll be drowning in it."

Hal felt his heart freeze painfully in his chest at the sound of her voice. Everything suddenly came back to him in a cruel rush. The explosion, Karen, the stick, Maggie, the Skitter.

Hal swallowed loudly, gagging on the rusty taste of blood. He managed to turn his head weakly towards the sound of Karen's voice. He saw her, standing to his right, her frame almost casual. He gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into pathetic fists at his side. The unbearably strong pain Hal felt was replaced with an even stronger anger as his eyes locked with Karen's.

Karen smiled menacingly at him, her eyes gleaming with something demonic. She took a few steps closer to Hal, still smiling.

"You got hurt pretty bad. Probably don't have much longer. You lost a lot of blood, but that's nothing compared to what's happening on the inside." Karen laughed at this, her laugh dark and grave, mocking Hal.

Hal glanced around, noting that he was alone now, Maggie, Pope, Tom and Ben nowhere to be seen. He was lying on a table similar to the one he had been strapped to earlier, but this one had no restraints. Hal supposed they assumed he would be too weak to try and escape or fight back. They had assumed right. Hal barely had the strength or willpower to breathe in and out.

Hal met Karen's gaze evenly, his lips pressed so tightly together they were white.

She stopped at the foot of his bed, her head cocked to one side as she watched him.

"Poor Hal Mason. So weak, so helpless. And Daddy's not here to help you either, now." Karen smiled at this, finding genuine pleasure in Hal's pain.

Hal bit his tongue to keep from speaking. He didn't want to let her know her words were getting to him. Instead, he kept his face as emotionless as he could, trying to hide the incredible pain he felt.

Karen took another big step closer to Hal, and she bent down so that she was only inches from his face. Hal cringed from her closeness, struggling to muster the strength to turn his head away.

Karen didn't show any anger at his struggle to move away from her. Instead, she smiled, her eyes moving over Hal's body slowly. She straightened up again, her eyes never looking away from Hal.

"We could have been happy, and this could have been so much easier, Hal. But you had to make it difficult. If you had just done things the way I had wanted, none of this would have had to have happened. But now I'll have to find another way to get what I want." Karen sighed, like she was deeply upset about this news.

Hal watched her carefully as she moved away from his bed, and picked up something off a long table, similar to the one he was resting on. As Karen turned to face Hal once more, he saw that she was holding what appeared to be a long, think needle. His already weak and shaky breath became even more unsteady.

Karen eyed the needle for a moment, then tapped it quietly as she looked back at Hal, who was devoid of any color or emotion. He looked like a ghost. Karen smirked at Hal, sending shivers down his aching spine. He coughed painfully, more blood rising into his mouth, and he closed his heavy eyes as he swallowed it back down.

"You look pretty bad, Hal, and I know you have to feel worse than you look. You won't make it much longer unless you get that blood out of your lung. I know you don't want to die, Hal. Not yet, not like this. So how about we make a deal?" She walked over to him casually, still holding the needle tightly in her grasp.

Hal opened his eyes again and glanced at her weakly. She was less than a foot from him, and she met his eyes without hesitation.

"This needle can save your life, Hal. It'll take all of that blood out of that lung, and patch up the wound so more blood doesn't get through. All you have to do is tell me what the 2nd Mass has been planning with those revolting rebel Skitters. Hmm? Tell me their little plan, and you live." Karen sounding so promising, like she would never betray Hal.

Hal laughed at her. It was a weak, croaking laugh, and blood came with it, but it was a laugh, and it made Karen's eyes flame with anger. He continued to laugh, ignoring the raging agony in his chest.

Karen's jaw clenched tightly, and her lips pressed tightly together, but she managed to smile mockingly at Hal.

"I figured you wouldn't give up the information for yourself. Hal Mason, always such a selfless man. It's sickening, really. You live in a world filled with nothing but reasons to be selfish, yet you still hold desperately to the belief that there is still some good left. Just like your pathetic father." Karen was practically spitting at Hal now. Still, he laughed at her, blood seeping through his clenched teeth.

"But there comes a great price with selflessness, Hal." Karen continued, her voice sadistic. She glanced towards the foot of Hal's bed, and he followed her gaze, still chuckling weakly.

Hal's laugh disappeared immediately, as did all feeling of pain. His heart stopped for a moment, and he lost all sight except for the small person who stood terrified before him, a Skitter right at his side.

Hal swallowed and a small, choked cry escaped his pale lips.

"Hal!" Matt was shivering, unable to move as the Skitter pinched his small arms tightly, holding him firmly in place. His face was so small, young and vulnerable as Hal looked at him that Hal nearly sobbed.

They had gotten his baby brother. They were using him as leverage, and Hal knew that once they got what they wanted from him, they would still probably kill Matt, finding no further use for him. They were trapped, and Hal had no idea how to get out.

"Hal, help me!" Matt was whimpering now, his whole body trembling as the Skitter's hold on him tightened.

Hal sat up quickly, feeling no pain as he watched Matt's scared, small figure.

"Matt!" Hal yelled, seeming so much stronger than he was. His chest was severely wounded, and his lung was quickly filling up with his own blood, but all Hal cared about right now was protecting Matt.

Suddenly, Hal was slammed back down by Karen, who had knocked her arm harshly across his face. He thudded painfully against the metal table, moaning from the impact.

"Hal!" Matt's voice sounded a little distant now. Hal's eyes fluttered back open again, just in time to see Karen's hand swinging down to his chest quickly.

Her hand collided with his wound, and she dug her fingers in it deeply, roughly. Hal felt a new kind of pain, one so excruciating his vision went completely black as he howled in misery.

Hal felt blood rush into his mouth quickly, his body thrashing in agony as Karen ripped her fingers even deeper into Hal's wound.

"Ahhhhahhhahhggahha!" The pain was so clear in Hal's screams that Matt tried to break free of the Skitter's hold and run to his big brother. The Skitter clawed Matt's arms viciously, and he fell to the ground, crying out in pain as he clutched his small arms.

Karen pulled her fingers out of Hal's chest quickly and brutally, an evil smile on her face. Hal gasped for air, blood spilling from his mouth down his pale cheeks.

"Tell me what I need to know, Hal, or Matty here's going to feel a pain worse than what you're writhing in." Karen spat angrily.

Hal choked on a terrible combination of blood and air, his heart beating rapidly in his shredded chest.

"Tell me what I need to know, or your little brat here is going to really know what it's like to feel pain." Karen's voice was relentless and hostile.

Hal tried to control his coughing and gasping, but he was failing so miserably.

Karen paused for a moment, watching Hal closely, then she turned to the Skitter.

"Pick him up!" She roared, pointing harshly at Matt, who was still hunched over in pain on the ground.

"No! Hal! Hal, help me! Please help me!" Matt screamed desperately, the pain in his voice echoing throughout the room. He was so young, so small, and innocent.

Hal managed to focus on Matt now, as the Skitter ripped him from the ground angrily, blood dripping from his skinny arms.

"No! Matt, it's okay! Everything's going to be okay!" Hal's yell was weak, but certain.

The Skitter began to drag Matt from the room, and he screamed once more.

"You promised, Hal! You promised to protect me!" Matt's voice was a whimper, filled with so much pain and fear.

Hal felt his heart shatter into a trillion pieces at his brother's words. He had promised to protect his brother, to never let anything happen to him. He had failed him miserably. Matt was going to die, and it was all Hal's fault.


	12. Too Much Pain

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Hal." Karen circled Hal slowly, her eyes gleaming with hatred.

Hal watched her, his bloody lips pursed. He swallowed tightly, fighting the urge to gag on the strong, rusty taste in his mouth.

"I don't." Hal mumbled quietly, closing his eyes as he spoke. Karen spat out a laugh at this.

"Oh, but you do, Hal. You promised me you loved me, didn't you? And then that precious Maggie floated into your life. You promised your mother you would always protect your family, no matter what. And now look at you." Hal's eyes shot back open at this, and he glared at Karen with such fury it could have burned a hole through her.

Karen caught his glare and smiled widely, her eyes dancing with a devilish joy. "And now you've promised Matt that you would keep him safe, and look where he is." Her voice was taunting, and Hal found it difficult to control his rage, even in his weakened state.

Karen stopped next to Hal, cocking her head as she looked down at him. His gaze never faltered from hers.

"So… Do you feel like talking yet?" Karen watched him closely. Hal opened his mouth, as if to speak, but instead spat a mixture of blood and saliva at her face. He did not smile, or laugh, this time. He simply watched her, anger and hatred permanently etched into his features.

Karen wiped the spit from her cheek slowly and examined it in her hand. She briefly glanced back at Hal before laughing softly. She raised her hand to her mouth and licked her hand, his bloody spit staining her tongue. Hal grimaced in disgust, but did not look away.

Karen dropped her hand back to her side and smiled at Hal. She resumed her circling, periodically disappearing behind his head.

"You know, I chose you for a reason, Hal. To interrogate, I mean. You do not know as much as your father, but you are weaker. Tom Mason may have a pure heart, and a passionate desire to protect his family, but in the end, he will always choose the safety of the entire human species over individuals, even if those individuals are his sons."  
Hal gritted his teeth and stared at the ceiling as Karen continued.

"But you, Hal… You allow yourself to become so emotionally attached to those you love that the overall goal of saving the world is blinded to you. And this is what makes you so useful to me. To us." Karen gestured around the room, her smile remaining.

"Now. Are you going to tell me what I need to know, or should I make you?" Karen's tone indicated a warning to Hal.

Hal let his head fall back against the table, and he closed his eyes.

"How about I tell you in hell?" He said quietly, his jaw tight.

Karen's eyes flicked for a moment. She was growing more and more impatient by the second.

"By force, then." Karen stated simply.

Hal's eyes opened once more as he heard a door somewhere behind him creak open.

"Hal!" Matt's cry was so small and frightened that Hal's heart sank to his stomach.

"Hal!" Hal breathed in sharply, wincing at the great pain this caused in his chest. _No._ He thought. _No, please._

Matt and Ben appeared before him now, both escorted by a Skitter, both their faces covered in various bruises and cuts. Both were frightened, looking to their big brother for safety and reassurance. He could offer them none.

Hal swallowed tightly and looked at Karen, unable to contain the fear and anger in his voice when he spoke.

"Let them go, Karen." Hal tried to sound threatening, but his voice cracked and the fear broke through completely.

Karen shook her head, walking over to Ben, her movements easy and fluid.

"I can't do that, Hal. Ben and Matt are here because of you, and only you can let them go." She smirked at Hal as she reached Ben. She put her hand to Ben's face, and he flinched in response, gritting his teeth.

Hal tried to sit up so he could get to Ben, but he found he was too weak and in too much pain, and he collapsed back to the table, breathing heavily.

Karen stroked Ben's cheek. He turned his head away from her, and she grabbed him by the throat harshly.

He gagged loudly, his hands flying to hers immediately. Matt cried out and struggled against the Skitter who kept him firmly in place. Hal yelled loudly, the rage evident in his strained voice.

"Karen! Let him go!" Hal struggled to sit once more, but he was too weak.

Karen smiled. She tightened her grip on Ben's throat and lifted him from the ground. His feet kicked angrily as he struggled to break her grip.

"Give me what I need, Hal." Karen spoke without looking at Hal.

Hal tried once more to sit, groaning furiously. He managed to sit, and as he was rising to his shaky feet, he coughed, and a mouthful of blood rose to his lips. He spat it to the side, and fought the wave of dizziness and pain that crashed over him as he rose from the table.

Ben was still struggling to break free of Karen's suffocating grip, but he was noticeably weaker. His face was beginning to take on a pale blue tint, and his legs were no longer kicking in protest. Matt was sobbing angrily, still fighting the Skitter.

"Hal, give me what I need, or I break his neck." Karen spoke without hesitation.

Hal moved in slow motion, unable to lift his feet at a steady pace. He kept his eyes on Ben, whose eyes were beginning to flutter shut.

"Have it your way, then." Karen's grip on Ben's throat tightened greatly.

Hal heard the crunch, but it didn't register. He didn't understand what he had just heard, what he had seen. Matt's sobs fell silent as Karen dropped Ben's lifeless body to the ground.

Hal halted to a stop, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't even feel the agonizing pain in his chest now. He couldn't feel the thick blood rising into his mouth.

Hal stared at Ben, his eyes blank. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Hal began to shake violently, and he fell to his knees. He didn't notice, though. All he could focus on was Ben.

Matt suddenly began to sob uncontrollably, and he called out to Hal, but it sounded distant and faint to Hal. Still, he remained kneeling, his empty eyes staring at his dead brother.

The ground shook again and a loud explosion cracked beneath them. Karen ran to Hal and lifted him to his feet. He allowed her to, unable to fight. Hal couldn't seem to focus on anything.

He was suddenly thrust back into reality when he felt an explosion of pain in his chest, and a fresh, hot slow of blood pulse down his body quickly. He cried out weakly, and only then did he notice that they were no longer alone in the room anymore. Hal looked around at all the familiar faces, his eyes glazing over.

Before Hal stood his father, Captain Weaver, Pope, Dai, Anthony, Tector, and two of the three soldiers from Charleston. They were all armed, all ready for battle. They looked so far away, even though they were right in front of him.

Hal could faintly hear Matt screaming behind him, but everything seemed so far away now.

Tom rushed in, followed quickly by everyone else, and he pressed his rifle to Karen's head furiously.

"Save him!" Hal heard his father yell. He wasn't sure who he was talking about.

Hal's legs gave out suddenly, and he fell harshly to the cold ground. He didn't cry out as his head slammed against the metal floor. He couldn't feel it.

Time disappeared now. Hal couldn't track the movements or screams of the other people in the room. It was all too quick for him to follow. Everything looked frozen.

Hal blinked weakly, fighting to keep his eyes open. Nothing seemed real in that moment. Everything was distant and faded.

But then reality flooded back to him in a single, agonizing wave. He felt something jolt inside of him, and then everything came crashing down.

* * *

Hal sat up instantly, barely turning his head before the heavy burst of blood exploded from his mouth. He vomited up the blood until he had nothing left. Hal coughed and gagged for several long moments, wheezing deeply.

The pain was overwhelming. Hal lifted a shaking hand to his chest, and he felt something sticking out. He tugged weakly until the thick needle fell out, gasping as it did.

"Hal, we have to go!" He heard the voice, but everything still seemed so unreal.

He was in such a great state of shock. Hal was conscious, but he was not with the rest of the group, mentally or emotionally. He was in a terrible daze. He might as well have been in a coma.

Hal could not recall the next moments to come. He could not find his mind or thoughts, and so he remained in the darkness, letting it settle around him.

It was almost an hour later when Hal felt himself resurfacing. He found that they had somehow gotten to an open field. He was sitting on a rotting log, completely alone. It took Hal a moment to register everything, but when he did, he wished he could sink back into the darkness.

Hal watched as his father cradled Ben's dead body. Matt knelt beside him, sobbing helplessly, choking on hiccups. Dai was standing off to the side, holding in tears, as was Tector and the Beserkers. Maggie was still unconscious, lying in the grass, her face pale and bloodied., her chest rising and falling weakly. Captain Weaver stood with his back facing Hal, a hand pressed firmly to his mouth as he held in choked sobs.

And Pope was near Hal, standing but a few feet to his right. His face was hardened and dark. He seemed to notice that Hal was more alert, and he took a seat next to him on the log.

Hal still continued to watch his father and brothers. He swallowed loudly and blinked his eyes to his feet.

"It's a damn shame, huh?" Pope spoke lowly, his voice grave. "He's just a kid. I'm not the biggest fan of you or your family, but he didn't deserve that."

Hal wanted to scream, to punch Pope in the mouth just for speaking of his brother, but he felt so drained he couldn't do anything but stare at his feet.

Pope glanced at Hal out of the corners of his eyes, looking him up and down closely. He looked terrible. His eyes were shadowed with such dark circles they could have easily been mistaken for bruises. He was covered in deep cuts and dark bruises. His lips were coated with dried blood, and he was devoid of all color and life. He looked very gaunt, his eyes were sunken into his head from exhaustion, and he had a permanent expression of pain and anger scarred into his features.

"I'm sorry, kid... About your brother...-" Pope started his apology, but Hal's quiet voice interrupted.

"Please, Pope. Don't... Don't say anything." Hal was pleading with Pope. His voice was terribly strained and weak. His eyes never lifted from the ground.

Pope nodded after a moment of hesitation, still watching Hal. He looked away, back to where the others stood crowded around Ben. He sighed and cleared his throat.

"When she took you... What did she want? She ask you about the rebels?" Pope's voice still had a hard edge to it, but he softened it a bit for Hal, who was in a terribly fragile state.

Hal closed his eyes, feeling hot tears well into his eyes. He was unable to keep them from spilling down his cheeks.

"Please stop talking, Pope." Hal begged him quietly, his voice cracking.

Matt suddenly turned around, seeming to notice that Hal was awake. He weakly rose to his feet and sprinted to Hal, crying out as he did.

Matt ran to Hal, leaving his oblivious father behind, and stood before him, seeming hesitant and scared. Silent tears flowed down his cheeks.

Hal looked up instantly and met his baby brother's pained eyes. Hal felt a choked sob escape his lips, and without a word, he pulled Matt into his stiff arms, ignoring the pain that ripped through his body as he moved.

Matt curled up in Hal's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around him. Hal buried his face in Matt's grimy hair and held him as tightly as he could. Matt sobbed into Hal's bloody chest, his small body shaking violently as he let out all the pain and fear inside of him.

Hal pulled Matt even closer to him, cradling him, rocking back and forth gently. He managed to hold in most of his own sobs, but a few escaped into Matt's hair. The pain Hal felt, both physically and emotionally, were so great it was unimaginable. He couldn't control it. And he couldn't control the horrible guilt that tugged at his heart.

Ben was dead, and it was all Hal's fault. If Hal had just stalled Karen, given her some false information, he could have bought enough time to come up with a decent plan, and Ben would be alive right now. But Hal had been foolish. He had acted without thinking, and it had cost his little brother his life. Hal choked on another weak sob, holding Matt tighter.

Pope watched silently as the two brothers held each other. Matt was crumpled in Hal's arms, sobbing viciously. Hal was trying to be strong for his brother, but his exterior was quickly shattering, the tears beginning to fall, the sobs beginning to choke out. As Pope watched them, he felt a definite sadness. He couldn't deny it, but he wouldn't show it. Instead, he looked away, giving the two boys some privacy and time to grieve.

Hal stroked Matt's hair gently, desperately fighting back his own emotions.

"It's okay. I'm here. I've got you." Hal murmured to Matt, his voice as soothing as possible. Matt clung to Hal, his body trembling terribly.

"I don't want Ben to go to heaven, Hal." Matt wept in Hal's drenched, bloodstained shirt.

Hal stifled a sob and nodded against Matt's head. "Neither do I." He whispered.

Matt pulled back suddenly, looking at Hal. His face was pale and splotchy, tears staining his dirt-coated cheeks. He looked at Hal with big eyes, his lip trembling.

"Hal... What did Karen want with you?" Matt asked quietly, his voice shaking.

Hal remained silent, not because he didn't want to answer Matt, but because he suddenly had a strange feeling creep inside of his chest. He looked at Matt with confusion filling his agonized eyes.

"Did she ask about the rebel attack?" Matt continued, studying Hal's face.

Hal opened his mouth to speak, but found no words would come out.

"What's so important about the rebel attack that she would do all of this?" Matt's voice was small and innocent, his eyes full of pain.

"Was it about Boston? Or Chicago?"

Hal gently pushed Matt out of his lap and looked up to find the whole group watching him closely. Something wasn't right.

"What difference did it make if they're attacking Boston or Chicago, Hal? Why couldn't you just tell her? Ben would still be alive if you had just told her." Matt's voice was rising now, and he seemed different.

"Why don't you tell _me_ what's so important about it, huh? Don't you think I deserve that much? Why don't you tell me what was _so_ important about this plan that it was worth my brother dying over! What's the plan, huh, Hal? What's the plan?"

Hal stood shakily now, watching as the group of fighters slowly surrounded him, the same intent expression on all of their faces. He backed up slowly, watching them closely, unable to hide the fear in his eyes.

"What's the plan, Hal?" Matt yelled angrily again, stepping towards Hal.

Hal began to back up more quickly, until he felt his back slam against a tree. He was trapped.

"What's the plan, Hal?" But it wasn't Matt who spoke this time. It was Karen. Karen was surrounding him.


	13. Suffocating

Hal's eyes shot open in an instant. He gasped for air, his heart exploding in his chest. He shot upright, and that's when he noticed that something was attached to his head.

Hal lifted his hands, which were shaking violently, and tugged at the thick chords that were sticking from his temples.

A small, childlike whimper escaped his lips as he pulled on them. They seemed to be glued to his skin, but he pulled at them until they finally ripped off.

Hal looked around, his breathing erratic and painful. Waves of excruciating pain ripped through his entire body, causing him to nearly black out again. He was covered in blood and bruises, his head was on fire, and he knew he had several broken ribs from the terrible pain he felt in his chest and sides. As he examined himself further, though, he found no traces of the stab wound from the Skitter. It had disappeared.

His weary, frightened eyes looked up slowly, inspecting the room he was in. He was in a dark space, the walls glowing in certain areas. He heard steam rising from a machine somewhere behind him. It seemed like he was in a factory.

Hal knew better, though. He knew where he was. He was still in the Espheni ship. They had never escaped. They had never gotten out into that field.

Hal looked around quickly, searching for his father, or Maggie, even Pope. But he found he was completely alone.

Hal felt a thick cloud of confusion settle around him. His breathing became heavier and more frightened. He jumped off the table he was resting on, nearly collapsing as he found his legs to be incredibly weak and sore.

Hal gripped the edge of the table for support and turned in every direction, hoping to find someone, anyone.

And he did. As Hal turned around, he found her stepping out from behind an unusual machine, grinning wildly.

"Hello, Hal. It's good to see you up." Karen spoke, stepping closer to him.

Hal nearly threw up as the fear and confusion consumed him. He had no idea what was real. Was this another dream? Where was everyone else? What had happened?

Hal was suddenly overcome with anger and desperation. He rushed Karen, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt, and he slammed her against the machine as hard as he could, yelling out as he did.

"What…" Hal stopped, trying to catch his breath. "What's… happening…?" His voice rung with desperation and fear. This made Karen's grin widen even more.

"You never woke up, Hal." Her voice was sadistic. She enjoyed seeing him so frightened and pained.

"What are you talking about?" Hal didn't move away from Karen, or yell at her, but instead waited for her to respond. He seemed to almost be in shock he was so calm now.

"You never woke up, after the explosion at the campsite. Everything you experienced after that was a dream, Hal. A wonderful, beautiful dream." She sneered at him, her eyes gleaming with something dark and evil.

Hal dropped his hands from her shirt now, stumbling back away from her. He tried to swallow, but found he couldn't.

"Until now, of course." Karen continued casually. "But I bet it felt real, didn't it? The pain, the blood, the screams. Your brother's death."  
Hal was practically hyperventilating now, the pain in his chest and head increasing greatly. He began to feel it all again, reliving each and every horrifying moment. It was overwhelming, and Hal felt himself about to break completely.

"I thought that was a nice touch, really. Very creative. But it did not have the outcome I had hoped for." Karen stepped towards Hal now, her expression deadly.

Hal continued to stumble back, unable to keep the fear from surfacing. Karen's face would haunt him for the rest of his short life.

"All you had to do was tell me what I needed to know. It was simple, but you made it complicated. I took you for a purpose, Hal. And you failed to serve that purpose. So now, I'll have to get what I need some other way." She cornered him now, her face only inches from his.

Hal looked down at his feet, hoping to avoid her haunting stare. And as he did, he now noticed the staff in her hands. The one from his dreams. The one that he had thought caused such pain, the one he thought left Maggie nearly dead.

Hal looked up at Karen, his eyes almost pleading with her.

She smiled at her, her eyes relentless.

Karen jabbed the stick into Hal's stomach as hard as she could. Hal screamed in agony, falling to his knees, as the unbearably familiar pain shredded at his body.

Karen removed the stick, laughing easily. She looked at Hal in disgust as he knelt on the ground, coughing from the pain.

"You're pathetic, Hal. But you still might be able to serve some sort of purpose to us. I want you to pass a message on to that arrogant father of yours."

Hal looked up at her now, his expression one of pure hatred and disdain. He was breathing heavily, and in an amazing amount of pain, but he managed to sneer at her, his teeth coated in blood.

Karen knelt down next to Hal, and put her face right next to his ear so he would hear her clearly.

"Tell Tom Mason… That we're coming for the 2nd Massachusetts. And we're coming for blood."

* * *

Hal stumbled down the damp street slowly. He barely had the strength to lift them.

It was almost sunset now, the grey clouds parted enough to reveal the beautiful pink haze in the sky. Hal found no beauty in it.

Hal could focus on nothing but the agonizing pain as his tired feet dragged endlessly on, carrying him towards the unknown.

He had been walking for hours without a break. His body was begging him to rest, but Hal refused to stop. He didn't feel he deserved rest, and he had no desire to stop.

Hal had no idea if he was headed towards the rest of his group or not. He was wandering aimlessly, hoping he might stumble across them. But a part of him hoped he _was_ going the wrong way. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing everyone again, after everything he had been through.

Hal found himself unable to walk anymore now, his legs giving out beneath him. He crashed to the ground painfully, and he gasped as his chest slammed against a rock. He felt his ribs screaming at him, and he closed his eyes tightly to keep the tears from spilling.

Hal lay there in the street for several long moments, his eyes squeezed shut, the memories of his time with Karen flooding his mind.

The cold table, all the blood and agony, Maggie's screams, Matt crying out, Ben. Hal felt a sob rise to his lips, and he let it escape. Soon, his whole body was racking with violent sobs, his chest begging him to stop, but his heart wouldn't let him.

He wept for hours, unable to stop. His mind and body were in such terrible pain that he couldn't handle it. Hal slammed his hands down on the asphalt angrily, screaming in anger.

Hal felt his sobs becoming weaker now, and as they did, he became aware of something cold and hard beneath his hand.

Hal forced himself to sit up, finding he was even weaker now. He picked up the cold object and examined it closely. It was a ripped piece of car metal. The edges of it were razor-sharp, and Hal could see crusted blood splattered on the center of it.

He gripped it tightly in his hand, fighting the urge to scream out. Hal felt the metal tear into his hand, and he squeezed it harder, forcing it to cut deeper.

After a few moments, Hal dropped the shard of metal. His hands were shaking and covered in sticky blood. The gash on his palm was extremely deep and bleeding profusely.

Hal managed to stand. His shaking legs threatened to cave again, but he forced himself to step forward. He moved slowly, his body even more pained and weak than before. But he didn't stop this time. Hal had to get back to his family, to the 2nd Mass, despite his strong fears and the overwhelming agony he felt.

Hal had to warn them.

* * *

Hal had somehow walked through the night without stopping once. He was more exhausted than he ever thought possible, and his body ached down to the bones.

He wasn't sure where he was, which direction he was headed in, or how long he had been gone exactly. Hal was consumed in a world of confusion, terror, exhaustion, and agony.

It was sometime mid-morning when he heard the voice, and he almost believed it to be his imagination.

"Hal?!" Hal turned around, stiffly, and as he did, he found Weaver, Pope, Tector, and his father emerging from an alleyway.

"Hal!" His father ran to him as quickly as his legs would carry him. Hal remained where he stood, unable to move.

Tom reached Hal, his expression a mixture of pain, relief, sadness, concern, and confusion.

"Hal..." His father whispered, examining him closely. Tom felt his heart sink deep into his stomach as he took in the sight of his boy.

Hal was soaked in blood. His shirt was half torn from his body, exposing his stomach and what appeared to be a terrible burn on his abdomen. His face was pale, sickly, and contorted into an expression of pure agony and fear. He was covered in various bruises and cuts, some deep, some only scratches. He appeared to be thinner, and so weak he was about to collapse. His eyes were hollow heavily shadowed with dark, black circles of exhaustion. His hands were shaking terribly at his sides, and one was thickly coated in blood.

Hal remained silent as the rest of the group approached them. He watched his father silently, his breathing unsteady.

"Jesus, what the hell happened to you?" Pope scoffed, looking Hal over quickly.

Hal's eyes flicked to Pope, who caught his glance. As Pope looked into Hal's eyes, he saw something he could never unsee. He saw, in Hal Mason's eyes, the darkness and pain that only hell could bring.

"Hal?" Hal's eyes shot over to the alleyway once more, and he lost what little control he had left.

Ben slowly appeared before him, his face expressing deep concern and fear as he saw the state his brother was in.

As Ben walked closer, Hal let a small whimper pass his bloody lips. His trembling legs gave out beneath him, and he fell to his knees. He felt bile rise into his aching throat, and he tried to turn away as it poured from his mouth.

He knelt there, gagging and coughing weakly, failing to acknowledge his father and Captain Weaver kneeling beside him as they watched helplessly.

Hal stayed like this for a long time, fighting the sick feeling in his stomach. When he finally looked up, he found everyone watching him with extreme concern on their tired faces. Even Pope looked upset at the sight of Hal.

"Hal, what happened?" The fear in Tom's voice was clear, and it made Hal feel even worse.

Hal opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't control his breathing long enough to reply.

After what felt like an eternity, he managed to speak, his voice so strained and hoarse that his words were almost undecipherable.

"How long...?" He looked at his father helplessly, his pale face twisted into terrible pain.

"Hal, you've been gone for almost three weeks." Tom's voice was soft and shaky, and his eyes showed the pain he was feeling.

A weak cry escaped his mouth, and he closed his eyes, finding it difficult to open them again.

"Hal, what happened to you?" Tom put a hand to Hal's face gently, and nearly cried when his son flinched at his touch.

"They're coming. They're coming." Hal mumbled, ignoring his father's questions. His breathing worsened, and his entire body began to shake.

"Who's coming, Hal?" Tom looked back at Weaver, both of their faces mirroring concern.

Hal grabbed Tom by the collar, his eyes and voice filled with a fearful desperation. He was shaking uncontrollably now.

"Dad. I didn't keep them safe." Hal's voice was little more than a whimper, and tears began to spill down his cheeks quickly.

"Who, son? Who didn't you keep safe?" Tom was having a hard time keeping his emotions under control as he watched Hal, his mind was racing with thoughts of what could have happened to him to hurt him so badly.

Hal gripped on to Tom's collar as if he would drift away if he let go. He was choking on sobs, and he was barely able to stay upright.

"Matt. And... Ben." Ben's name came out as a weak sob, and Hal's eyes closed tightly as he said it. He seemed to have forgotten that Ben was right in front of him, unharmed and healthy.

"Hal, Ben's here. He's safe. So is Matt. We're going to get you back to camp, okay? Stand up, Hal. We have to get you back to camp." Tom tried to make his voice firm and strong, but he was clearly shaken up. He tried to pry Hal's hands from his shirt so he could stand, but Hal's grip only tightened and his eyes shot open, filled with such pain that Tom couldn't bear to look.

"I watched Ben die, Dad. I watched him die, right in front of me. And I did nothing. I let my brother..." Hal's trembling voice drifted off, his face turning a ghostly white. His bloodshot eyes glazed over slightly, and he seemed to sink into some sort of shocked state as he recalled the memory of watching his little brother die before his eyes. His hands slowly slid from Tom's shirt, and his eyes fluttered shut.

The last thing Hal heard was Pope.

"Grab him!"

Then the darkness Hal had become so familiar with settled comfortably around him once more, suffocating the memories and pain temporarily.


	14. Longing

Tom and Pope ran through the hospital's doors, carrying Hal's limp and bloody body as they did so.

"Anne!" Tom screamed, the desperation in his voice ringing through each corridor.

Maggie came around the corner suddenly, her face concerned. "Tom, what the he…" She stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes rested on Hal.

"Hal!" Maggie screamed, rushing towards them quickly. She joined Hal's side, picking up her pace as Tom and Pope moved quicker.

"Anne!" Tom yelled out again as they rounded the next corner.

A door burst open now, and Anne appeared.

"Tom?" She looked terribly confused until she saw Hal, and then her expression shifted in an instant. "Oh, God. Here! Come with me!" Anne turned on her heels and quickly led the fighters towards an empty hospital room.

Tom, Pope and Maggie all rushed into the room just as Hal began to come to.

"Unghhgh…" Hal moaned, his eyes still tightly shut.

"Lay him here." Anne patted the bed and disappeared from the room for a brief second. When she returned she wore a white coat over her clothes, and pulled a gurney filled with several medical tools.

"Tell me what happened." Anne instructed firmly as she made her way to Hal.

"We were on a scouting mission, and Hal was stumbling down a street. That's all we know." Tom spoke so quickly his words were barely more than jumbled sounds. His terrified eyes never left Hal.

Anne nodded and moved to Hal's side quickly.

"Hal, can you hear me?"

"Please…" Hal turned his head away from Anne, his eyes squeezing shut even more tightly.

"Hal, I'm going to check you over really quick, see what we're dealing with here, okay?" Anne's voice was gentle and motherly as she bent over Hal.

She tugged softly at his shirt, and that was all it took to rip enough for her to get a clear look at his chest and abdomen.

Anne held in a small gasp as she looked at Hal's body. He was in bad shape. Hal had a large burn on his stomach, but the worst part was his chest and sides. Hal's ribcage was seriously damaged. With only so much as a glance Anne knew he had several broken ribs. The skin was heavily bruised and swollen in a few places. Anne suddenly saw that Hal's skin had a slight bluish tint. Then she noticed his breathing.

Hal was breathing terribly weak, and his chest was not rising and falling steadily. She looked up to find not only Tom and Maggie waiting to hear about Hal, but Ben, Pope, Weaver and Anthony also crowded around anxiously.

"Tom, we need to do a chest x-ray. Now." Anne gave him a look that expressed her concern and urgency. "Anthony, can you find Lourdes? Tell her to meet me in the x-ray lab. Immediately." Anthony nodded quickly and ran from the room.

"Tom, help me wheel him down to the lab." Anne began to clear a path for Hal as Tom hurried to the other end of the bed.

"Anne, what's-" Maggie began shakily, but Anne cut her off.

"I think Hal might have a collapsed lung. He could suffocate." Her voice was low and sad, but firm.

Maggie swallowed tightly and tried to push back the overwhelming fear she felt at the thought of losing Hal, but she was failing. She followed quickly as everyone hurried down the halls towards the x-ray lab.

Lourdes was already waiting for them inside, her expression serious and determined. She was setting everything up, and once it was all ready, Tom and Anne placed Hal in the x-ray room and left him alone. He groaned loudly, but he never opened his eyes.

Only moments later Anne put the photos of Hal's chest on a light board. She swallowed loudly and turned to the group with a ghostly pale face.

"His left lung has collapsed and there's a lot of trapped air. I can get to it and release the air, but I'm going to have to re-break one of his ribs. It's blocking my path." Anne sounding shaky and a little unsure.

Tom's face became washed of all color, and a thin sheet of sweat coated his forehead. Maggie closed her eyes and fought back her emotions as best she could. Pope released a long sigh, his features remaining hardened. Ben's jaw tightened and he looked at his feet.

Tom nodded after a moment and he gave Anne's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I trust you." He spoke quietly, his eyes meeting hers.

Anne bit her lip and nodded, giving Tom a small and uncertain smile.

"Lourdes, grab me some plastic tubing, a scalpel, a bone saw, and get him started on an IV drip." Lourdes nodded and became a blur as she grabbed everything needed.

"Anne, there's no bone saw… We'll have to break it manually." Lourdes spoke hesitantly as Anne began to move towards the room Anthony had wheeled Hal into.

Anne stopped suddenly and she became visibly upset. She nodded stiffly.

"Let's go, then." Anne mumbled, rushing down the hall into Hal's room.

"Hal, I need you to listen, okay? You have a collapsed lung. I'm going to have to release the trapped air in your chest, but I'm going to have to re-break one of your ribs first." Anne was trying desperately to sound confident and authoritative, but her voice was trembling slightly.

Hal's eyes began to flutter open and he searched for the voice he had just heard. His eyes weakly rested on Anne, and he looked deeply confused.

"What…-" Hal started, but he drifted off as his breathing hitched. He closed his eyes tightly again, and his trembling hands tightened around the bed sheets.

Anne glanced up at the others around the bed, her eyes fearful.

"Captain, Pope… I'll need you to hold his legs. Tom and Anthony, hold his shoulders. This is going to really hurt, but I need him to be as still as possible."

Anne swallowed and looked at Ben and Maggie, who both looked like they were desperate to help, but neither had steady hands or emotions. Anne needed steadiness. She held their gaze for a moment longer and shook her head slightly at them. Then she turned her attention back to Hal.

Hal was beginning to stir beneath the hands that were now holding him firmly against the bed. His eyes were struggling to open, and a low pained sound passed his lips.

"Stay still, son. We're right here. Everything will be okay soon." Tom soothed Hal as best he could, but Hal didn't hear his father's words. He was too focused on the memories that played behind his closed eyelids. With the hands holding him down, Hal felt like he was back on the ship with Karen, trapped in place by tight restraints. His breathing deepened, which only worsened his condition. Anne began to hurry.

"Lourdes, hand me the scalpel." Anne mumbled, her eyes focused intently on Hal's chest.

When the blade was in her hand, Anne didn't hesitate.

"Hold him down." She instructed loudly, and then she pressed the cold blade to the side of Hal's chest.

The blade dug into his skin harshly, and blood began to roll down his side quickly.

Hal screamed out in pain, his voice trembling. He thrashed against the hands holding him down, despite feeling so incredibly weak and tired.

Hal settled down, desperately gasping for air, as Anne finished the incision that she needed. She turned to Lourdes, her eyes hardened.

"Get me the wedge and mallet." Anne's voice was much lower now. She was about to break Hal's rib again. Everyone in the room tensed up. Maggie kept her eyes firmly placed on Hal, needing to see him in this moment and wishing that he was seeing her.

Anne stuck what appeared to be a stick into the incision. Her movements were swift and certain.

The stick was wedged between Hal's already broken ribs, and the sound he released would haunt everyone in the room until the day they died.

Hal tried to break free desperately, but he didn't stand a chance. He howled in agony as the wedge went deeper and deeper into his chest, his scream so strained and filled with so much pain. Maggie closed her eyes briefly, feeling a tear escape and fall silently down her cheek.

Anne finally pushed the wedge in as deep as she needed it, and then she grabbed the mallet from Lourdes' hand quickly. Without hesitation or warning, Anne smashed the mallet into the end of the wedge.

The crack of Hal's rib echoed painfully throughout the room. A choked sob/scream escaped his dry lips. Stray tears slipped down the sides of his face as he attempted, weakly, to break free one last time. When he failed yet again, Hal fell back against the bed, defeated, still choking on smothered sobs.

Anne removed the wedge and tossed it aside. She then grabbed the plastic tubing that Lourdes was holding out. Anne carefully inserted the tubing into the bloody incision mark on Hal's side. She pushed it in far, most of it disappearing into Hal. He moaned hoarsely, but was now too weak and in too much pain to fight back.

Anne sighed shakily before placing her lips to the end of the tube that hadn't been placed inside Hal's chest. She began to hastily suck out the air trapped in Hal's beaten chest. She removed her lips every so often and blew out the extra air.

This process went on for five eternities. But finally, Hal began to breathe on his own. He sucked in air so quickly that he choked and began to cough painfully. He wheezed in and out loudly, his eyes fluttering open once more. He gasped slightly as Anne removed the tubing from his chest.

Everything after that was a blur to Hal. He was only half aware as Anne bandaged his chest and his many other wounds, because he was only half-conscious. He heard all the voices that spoke to him, but he didn't know what they were saying. He felt hands brushing over him, but he didn't know who they belonged to.

Hal felt disconnected from his body. He felt numb and distant. He tried to open his eyes so many times, but he couldn't fight the exhaustion that was consuming him. And soon enough, Hal felt him slip from the misery he was surrounded by in this world and into a bittersweet place filled with silence.

* * *

Hal felt the pain break through once more. His whole body ached terribly.

Hal's eyes began to open weakly, but he couldn't help but think that a part of him wanted to keep his eyes shut as tight as possible because he was afraid of what he might find when they open.

Hal forced his tired eyes open, though, despite his fears. He found that he was in a hospital room. A hospital room that he recognized. He was back in Charleston.

Hal was beginning to feel relief wash over him, and then he heard someone breathing softly from somewhere beside him. He slowly and stiffly turned his head, holding his breath tightly as he did so.

Hal nearly screamed out in terror as he layed his eyes on a blond head. Karen. Hal suddenly felt sick to his stomach as all the memories and pain flooded him. He wasn't in Charleston. This was just another cruel trick.

But then the blond head rolled back slightly, and Hal sucked in a tight, painful breath. It wasn't Karen that rested beside him. It was Maggie.

Hal opened his mouth as if to speak, but he found he could not form words. Instead, he just let his eyes rest upon the one person who had the ability to make his heart soar even when he was so tired and in so much pain.

He knew she was real this time. But knowing that this was reality didn't take away the excruciating memories that were haunting him. He knew it had all been a cruel trick, but it was so very real to Hal.

Maggie seemed to sense someone was watching her, and her eyes shot open. She settled her gaze upon Hal, and for a moment she didn't seem to register that he was awake.

It hit her suddenly, though, and she rose to her feet in an instant.

"Hal." Maggie breathed in, her eyes searching him over frantically. At first her eyes were guarded and emotionless, the way she was used to wearing them. But the longer she watched Hal, the more her facade crumbled.

Maggie swallowed tightly and closed her eyes for the briefest second. She drew in a tight breath of air and released it shakily. When she opened them again, she looked back at Hal, her eyes glistening slightly.

"Maggie..." Hal's voice was a croak, and a weak one. He said no more, though. He only let her name pass through his pale lips, and even though his voice was weak and pained, he said her name with more intensity and love than he ever had before.

Maggie sighed shakily and continued to look at him, finding it more comforting to hear his voice than she ever could have imagined.

"Lay with me." Hal whispered, sounding as exhausted as he looked.

Maggie hesitated, looking deep into his eyes for a moment. She found that she couldn't bear to look into them for long, though. When she searched through them, she saw so much agony and guilt and desperation that she couldn't stand it.

After a few more drawn out moments, Maggie moved closer to Hal. She gently lowered herself onto the bedside, careful not to make any sudden movements so she wouldn't hurt Hal any more. She positioned herself next to him, lying on her side stiffly. She brought her eyes up slowly to meet his.

"Maggie..." Hal sighed. He closed his eyes, seeming to be in pain. He weakly reached his hand out and found hers, grasping it as tight as he could. Maggie inched a little closer to Hal.

Hal opened his eyes again, and Maggie saw that they were red and bloodshot from unshed tears.

"I... I'm so sorry... I..." Hal stopped as he felt his voice becoming more unsteady.

"What are you sorry about, Hal?" Maggie asked quietly, feeling her heartbeat's pace quicken.

"I... Did nothing..." His voice was just a mumble now.

"Then why are you sorry?" Maggie watched him closely as his grip on her hand tightened.

Hal shook his head weakly, ignoring the pain that exploded in him with each movement. "No... Maggie, I did nothing... I... Didn't do anything to..." He trailed off, seeming to get lost in thought.

"Hal, you're not making sense. I think I should go get Doctor Glass...-" Hal cut her off, more harshly than he'd intended to.

"No! You don't get it! Maggie, I did NOTHING. Karen, she... She..." Hal's breathing began to deepen as the memories crashed over him quickly and painfully. He clenched his jaw and looked at the ceiling.

"What about Karen?" Maggie was unable to contain her anger as she spoke of Karen. She fought the urge to scream out simply at the mention of Karen's name, and she waited patiently for Hal to continue.

He was hesitant. He wanted to talk to Maggie, but he didn't want to have to remember it all.

Hal swallowed back his fears, though, and met Maggie's eyes once more.

"Karen killed Ben." Hal's voice was filled with a darkness and pain that even Maggie couldn't understand it. She knew, just from Hal's tone, and the look in his eyes, that he had been through absolute hell.

"Hal... Ben's not..." Maggie began, but Hal spoke over her.

"He died, Maggie. I watched him. He... Karen strangled him, and snapped his neck. She was trying to get me to talk about the rebel attack, but I wouldn't. So she killed Ben. Right in front of me, and Matt. And she nearly electrocuted you to death." Hal was beginning to hyperventilate as he recalled these terrible events, and as he spoke, Maggie knew what Hal was trying to say. Karen must have tricked Hal's mind into believing the events he was recalling were true. They must have felt real to him.

"Hal, Ben's alive. He's okay. So am I, and Matt's safe. Everything's okay now." Maggie tried to make her voice soft and reassuring, but Hal was too lost in his own painful mind.

"I let my baby brother die, Maggie. He needed me, he was trying to get away. He was so scared. And I let him die." Hal's voice broke at the end, and he closed his eyes to keep tears from escaping.

"I know it felt real, Hal. I know it had to. But it wasn't. Ben didn't die. Everything's okay now, Hal." Maggie spoke softly as she gave Hal's hand a gentle squeeze.

Hal shook his head, his eyes still squeezed shut. "It was all so real, Maggie. I... I watched him die. I looked into his eyes as she broke his neck. I watched my dad hold his dead son in his arms. It... I... I can still feel it all..."

"Look at me, Hal." Maggie's voice was firm. Hal didn't open his eyes, though. "Baby... Look at me." Maggie was pleading with him.

Hal opened his eyes slowly, and as he did, a stray tear rolled down his bruised cheek. He looked at Maggie, his eyes boring into hers. He looked so incredibly tired. He looked and felt like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, yet he still managed to keep his eyes open for her. He needed to see her. He needed her so badly right now.

"You trust me, don't you?" Maggie asked softly, her eyes flickering between his.

Hal nodded. "With all my heart." He whispered, sounding incredibly weak and pained.

"Then rest, Hal. Everything's okay for now. You're okay now. And I'm here with you. It's just you and me right now." She breathed these words to him, willing him to rest.

"Maggie... I love you." Hal whispered, his eyes still watching her intensely.

Maggie blinked, fighting back tears desperately. "I love you, too Hal. And I'm not going anywhere. It's just us now. Only us."

Hal breathed out shakily, and closed his eyes. He remained silent for a long moment, and Maggie figured he had fallen asleep. But without warning, Hal moved his weak, aching body closer to Maggie, holding in a low moan of pain as he did.

He rested his head against hers and sighed softly, his body settling gently into hers.

Maggie wanted to protest, to warn him not to move like that again until he was better, but she stayed silent. She wanted to tell him all those things, but she found that she was too overwhelmed with relief and happiness that Hal was here with her now. He had disappeared for so long, and he had been through such a tremendous amount of pain and grief. But he had found his way back to her, and he had longed to be with her as much as she had with him. So all that Maggie could do now was close her eyes and allow herself to rest next to the one person she had ever really loved.


	15. Fighting to Survive

Hal hadn't slept at all through the night, despite how terribly exhausted he was. He had managed to find some comfort and relief as Maggie rested next to him, however.

She had awoken sometime early in the morning. She'd mentioned having guard duty, but said she wanted to stay with Hal. He had insisted she not piss off Weaver, though, so she left reluctantly, promising him she'd be by later in the evening.

It was late morning now, and Hal found himself unable to focus on anything. He was in a great amount of pain. Each breath left him in such agony that his vision went black for a few moments. His head was throbbing in rhythm with the rest of his body, and it was overwhelming at times.

He stared blankly at a wall, desperately fighting back the painful memories that threatened to resurface. Hal knew he couldn't fight them off forever, but he needed a few moments of peace.

Hal was suddenly thrown back into reality as the hospital door creaked open slowly. He watched as it opened to reveal a small, slightly disheveled Matt.

Hal's heart began to thud painfully in his chest, and he immediately felt hot tears blur his vision. _You promised, Hal! Help me!_

Matt looked at Hal for a moment, and then glanced at his feet. He wore an expression full of pain and confusion, and he looked far too wise for a nine year old.

"Hey, Matt." Hal whispered, barely managing to hold in a sob as he spoke.

Matt remained silent, shuffling his feet anxiously. His brow furrowed as he looked at his shoes, seeming to be in deep thought. He bit his lip hard as it began to tremble slightly.

"Matt…" Hal spoke softly, somehow containing his emotions. He watched as his baby brother's exterior began to crumble slightly, noticing the first tear as it rolled down his small cheek. Hal's heart dropped into his stomach at this sight.

Matt breathed in, but it sounded more like a hiccup than anything. He looked up at Hal now, his face contorted into an expression of such pain and fear that only a child could convey.

"Why'd you go…?" Matt's voice was so small and it shook so much that Hal's breath shuddered painfully.

"I…-" Hal began shakily, but Matt interrupted.

"You keep saying that everything'll be okay, and you'll always take care of me and watch after me, but how can you when you keep leaving?! First you tried to kill yourself, and then you got taken by the aliens… Just like Ben, and Dad… Everyone keeps leaving me, and I just want things to go back to normal! I want us to be a family, and I want to got to school and see my friends, and I want Mom to tuck me in at night, and I want you to be my big brother again!" Matt was speaking so quickly and angrily.

He fell silent now, his small chest heaving in and out heavily as tears streamed down his face.

Hal stayed silent for a moment, seeming almost in shock. He looked at Matt helplessly, and he felt his heart shatter painfully in his chest. He had failed Matt so terribly. He had failed him in every way, and there was no way to take it all back. Hal couldn't go back and stop himself from doing any of the horrible things he had done when he was controlled by Karen, he couldn't take back any of his broken promises to Matt, and he couldn't undo any of what happened during his time on the ship. He felt so helpless and agonized realizing this.

"Matt, I… I…" Hal fell silent. What could he say? That he was sorry? That wouldn't help Matt. It wouldn't make his pain go away.

Matt stood in front of the bed, still breathing unsteadily. He was holding in small whimpers and sobs, trying to appear strong and brave for Hal, but his facade soon collapsed. Matt opened his mouth to inhale deeply, but instead he began to sob. Tears poured from his big eyes quickly, and his shoulders shook viciously as the cries wracked through his little body.

Hal knew he shouldn't move. He knew that standing and walking right now would only worsen his condition and cause him an amazing amount of pain. But right now, he didn't care. As he watched Matt cry out for comfort and reassurance, all Hal cared about was giving him the comfort and reassurance he needed.

Hal pushed the sheet from his body quickly and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He was immediately hit with an overwhelming pain, and he nearly fell back against the bed. But Hal fought it, pushing his own pain aside and letting Matt's take its place. Hal stood, and in one swift movement he rushed to Matt and knelt in front of him.

Hal's breath became slightly labored as the pain in his chest ripped through him, but he forced himself to breath in and out steadily. He placed his hands on Matt's skinny shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes.

"Matt, look at me. I'm right here. Nothing will ever, ever take me from you. Do you hear me? Nothing's ever going to change that. I'm always going to be your big brother, and I'm always going to protect you. I know I was gone, and I'm so sorry, Matt. But I'm here now, with you. I'm right here. I've got you now."

Matt began to hiccup as his sobs grew more violent, and he let himself collapse into Hal's warm embrace. He fell harshly against Hal's chest, and he had to bite on his cheeks to keep from screaming out in pain.

Hal managed to keep himself composed for Matt's sake. He wrapped his arms tightly around Matt, and despite his terribly weakened and beaten body, Hal picked Matt up, cradling him tightly to his broken chest.

He walked stiffly back to the bed with Matt still weeping into his shoulder. He set Matt down gently and nudged him to the far side of the bed before sinking down beside him. Matt continued to cry, but his cries were becoming weaker and more distant now as Hal pulled him closer.

Hal pulled Matt so that he was cradling him, keeping one arm draped over his small, shivering body protectively. When Matt's cries were only small whimpers, Hal spoke.

"I've got you, Matt." Hal whispered into Matt's soft hair. "I'm not going to leave again. I'm always going to be here to keep you, Ben, and Dad safe. I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Matt's breath shuddered softly as his whimpers halted. He nodded and nuzzled closer to Hal, closing his tired eyes involuntarily.

"Hal…" Matt mumbled.

"Yeah, buddy?" Hal kissed the top of his brother's head and closed his own aching eyes.

"I'm sorry I got angry before. I just… I was scared, and I don't want to lose you like Mom." Matt's sleepy voice sounded very young and frightened.

Hal sighed painfully, holding in tears. He nodded weakly against Matt's head.

"You're not going to lose me, buddy. I'm not going anywhere."

"Hal…" Matt trailed off quietly.

"Mm?" Hal whispered.

"I love you…" Matt body slumped slightly after a moment, and Hal knew he had fallen asleep.

Hal let a tear streak down his throbbing cheek now, sighing shakily.

"I love you, too Casper."

* * *

Hal rested in bed, his arm still holding Matt close. Matt had been asleep for a little more than an hour, and Hal hoped he would stay asleep for a few more hours. He needed sleep.

Hal needed sleep, too, but that was a lost hope. He couldn't sleep. Not with all the pain he was forced to carry, both physical and emotional. Hal couldn't escape the agony ripping through his body, and he couldn't erase the memories that were scarred into his weary mind.

His thoughts were so scattered. He kept replaying various moments from his past. His mind would jump from the memory of him nearly getting Matt killed to the moment he stumbled across his mother's dead body to the look his father held after Hal had nearly shot himself to the mech slaughtering those poor children to everything that had happened after Karen had take him.

So many memories flashed through his exhausted mind. Watching Maggie get tortured, hearing Matt's terrified screams, tasting all the blood in his mouth in what he had assumed would be his last moments, the crack of Ben's neck, Tom rocking back and forth while cradling his dead child, Karen jabbing the staff into his stomach, sending a billion excruciating volts through his body, collapsing into his father's arms after everything.

"Hal?" The voice that rung into Hal's throbbing head sounded hesitant and a little frightened. He glanced down at Matt to find him still cuddled to his side, sleeping soundly.

"Hal?"" The voice was a little louder now, and Hal glanced to the door slowly. He felt his stomach lurch painfully, and he closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm himself down.

"I just... I wanted to see how you were doing... I can leave..." Ben hesitated at the door, waiting for Hal to respond.

Hal still said nothing, finding his words getting choked in his throat. He opened his eyes and looked at Ben, trying terribly to stay calm. But he was failing.

_Hal, give me what I need, or I break his neck._

"Hal?" Ben was watching him closely now, his eyes full of concern.

_Have it your way, then._

"Hal, are you okay?" Ben had taken a few steps closer to Hal upon noticing how heavy his breathing was, and the thin gleam of sweat forming on his face. He watched him, ready to run for help if needed.

"Ben..." Hal seemed to come back to reality, blinking a few times. Ben noticed how red his eyes were. They were swimming with unshed tears as he met Ben's eyes.

"Yeah?" Ben searched Hal's face carefully, trying to ignore how pained and miserable he looked.

"I... I, uh... Huh..." Hal suddenly began to shake weakly and tears started to slip down his wounded cheeks. He was sobbing silently, so that Matt wouldn't wake.

Hal dropped his head into his hands and tried to stop crying, but he couldn't. The pain was too much, and he knew he couldn't avoid it.

"I'm so sorry, Ben... I'm so fucking sorry..." Hal whimpered, his voice muffled by his hands.

Ben rushed to the bedside and crouched down, watching Hal helplessly.

"What are you sorry for, Hal?" The fear slipped through unintentionally, and it made Hal look up at him.

Hal swallowed loudly, regaining some of his composure. He inhaled shakily as he looked at Ben with so much pain and guilt in his eyes that it sent a shiver down Ben's spine.

"When Karen..." Hal stopped, feeling another sob rise in his throat. He forced it back and continued on quietly.

"When Karen took me... I... She... Goddammit!" Hal became very frustrated as he found it more and more difficult to finish his sentence. He looked at Ben weakly. Ben waited patiently, his eyes focused intensely on Hal.

Hal sighed and closed his eyes almost against his will. His jaw tightened as he built up the willpower to speak again.

"Karen put me in... Some sort of alternate reality... It was real, but fake at the same time..." Hal paused, waiting for Ben to say something. When he remained silent, Hal continued shakily.

"She... Everyone was there... You and Dad, and Maggie, Pope... Even Matt..." Hal coughed nervously, his heart beginning to beat harder. "She, uh... She kept us strapped down... She wanted to know about the attack the rebels are planning on the Espheni base, and when I wouldn't talk..." Hal looked away from Ben and stared at a wall, his face hardening, his eyes darkening.

"She nearly killed Maggie. She electrocuted her until she was only barely alive. I tried to stop her, and a Skitter attacked me. I was dying, but I still refused to talk, so she brought Matt in... Threatened me with him, tortured me in front of him." Hal subconsciously tightened his grip around Matt, feeling an immediate urge to keep him safe.

Hal still kept his gaze even with the wall, his expression so hardened and filled with so much agony.

"When that didn't work, she brought you in. She... She started to choke you, and I... Uh... I was too late. I waited too long, and she... Broke your neck. Dad managed to break us all out, and we were in some field. Dad was holding your body, sobbing..." Hal glanced down at the hand that rested in his lap. His jaw tightened and his eyes flicked with rage as he recalled this memory.

Ben's heart sank. He struggled to keep his breathing steady. He had no idea Hal had been through so much. He had no idea he had witnessed so much. It hadn't been real, but it had. And Hal had been forced to live through it, completely and utterly alone. He had watched the love of his life all but die, he'd been cruelly tortured in front of his baby brother, and then he had watched his other brother be murdered ruthlessly at the hands of the devil herself.

Hal had been tossed out to fend for himself after weeks of endless and torturous mind games and diligent physical abuse. He had witnessed things that had been both real and fake, and it had all left him severely disoriented and terribly miserable. He was lost and confused and in so much pain that it nearly consumed him. He had let his brother die without putting up any fight, and then he discovered that he was still alive and everything he remembered was just a cruel, taunting lie.

Ben watched Hal for several long moments, wanting more than anything to just reach out and comfort him. But he didn't even know where to begin. Ben had thought that his time spent being harnessed had been so difficult and painful, but as he looked into Hal's dark eyes, he realized what hell was really like. Hal had been through things that no one would ever be able to understand. He had lived through the worst life could offer, and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

Hal looked at Ben, feeling numb and pained at the same time. He found his brother's face was filled with agony, his eyes shimmering with tears. He drew in a long, aching breath, wincing as his chest screamed in protest.

"Ben... I-" Hal began, his voice so quiet it was barely audible. But Ben stopped him.

"I, uh... I gotta go..." Ben stood abruptly, a few tears sneaking their way down his pale face. He wiped them away harshly and turned on his heels so quickly he nearly tripped.

Hal watched, confused and saddened, as Ben rushed from the room. He swallowed tightly and closed his eyes weakly. Hal regretted telling Ben anything. If he had stayed quiet, Ben wouldn't be upset and he would still be here with Hal.

Hal needed Ben. After everything that had happened, he needed his brother. But he knew he didn't deserve him. He didn't deserve any of his family, or Maggie. Hal felt, at this moment, like the only thing he truly deserved was the excruciating pain that raged throughout each and every cell in his body.

Hal opened his eyes and glanced back down at Matt, who looked so peaceful and normal sleeping beneath Hal's grip. Hal may not deserve his family, or their love, but he still had to protect them. He had to keep them safe. He knew what was in store for them, for all of the 2nd Mass, and Hal was more than determined to keep them all safe. Even if it meant giving up his own life.


	16. The Darkness is Near

Tom stepped into Hal's room as quietly as he could. He had been hoping that Hal would be resting, but as he entered he saw that Hal was wide awake with his arm draped across a sleeping Matt. He looked like he was protecting Matt, and it made Tom's heart surge.

Hal glanced up as he heard his father approach the end of the bed, and he tightened his jaw in slight frustration. He was tired of visitors, tired of talking. After his conversation with Ben, all Hal wanted to do was sit in silence and try to push back all of his pain and anger.

Tom stopped at the foot of Hal's bed, and for a moment he was silent. He simply met Hal's weary eyes and tried to smile reassuringly.

"How are you feeling?" Tom spoke after several long moments of aching silence. He watched Hal closely as he waited for his response.

"Probably as good as I look." Hal spoke softly, so he wouldn't wake Matt, and a small smile flickered on his lips.

Tom smiled at this and let out a long sigh.

"That's not good. You look like hell." Tom chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

"Mmm…" Hal murmured. He nodded, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Tom. "What about you?"

Hal hated this, making mindless "chit-chat." He was exhausted, and hurting so much, and all he wanted was some peace and quiet. But he knew what his father must have gone through during his absence, and still after his unexpected return, so he forced himself to carry on as casually as possible in hopes of giving Tom some temporary relief. He deserved that much.

Tom nodded slowly and cleared his throat.

"Good, I'm good. Great, now that you're here again." Tom looked at his son with such love and concern.

Hal glanced down at his lap briefly, feeling guilty as he thought of how much he had put his father through. He was undeserving of his father's love and concern, but he made himself look back into his father's bright eyes and smile.

"That's good." Hal sighed softly, still smiling deceivingly.

"Hal… I…" Tom paused, considering his next words. His eyes were full of pain as he settled on the words. "I'm just so glad that you're here again, with us, and that you're okay..."

_I'm not okay_, Hal's mind screamed at him.

"And I don't want to force you to talk about everything, because I know what you must be feeling after it all…"

_No, you couldn't even begin to understand how I'm feeling_, Hal thought harshly, feeling all the pain and anger rising to the surface. He struggled to push it back down.

"I don't want to rush you, but I need to know…" Tom stopped again, sighing. He rubbed at his face and licked his lips nervously. "I need to know what all happened… When we found you, you were pretty disoriented. But I need to know what all you remember, Hal."

Hal swallowed a little too loudly and blinked away from his father's pained gaze. He tightened his arm around Matt unintentionally, and winced as a pain shot through his body.

The absolute last thing Hal wanted or needed was to talk about everything that had happened. It was all too fresh, too raw, and recalling it all again so soon after his situation with Ben would likely cause Hal to break entirely. He was barely hanging on to reality, and he knew he only had a short amount of time before everything he had experienced came flooding back to him once more.

"Where should I start?" Hal mumbled, his jaw tight and his skin pale.

Tom hesitated, seeming surprised by how easily Hal was talking. He hadn't fought at all, hadn't asked for any time to recover before delving into the dark memories that surely haunted him, and this worried Tom greatly. He believed Hal was in a deep shock. But he needed to know, so he pushed the conversation on.

"You said someone was coming. Who did you mean?" Tom asked quietly, taking a step closer to Hal's side.

Hal pressed his lips so tightly together that they turned white. He closed his eyes, and his breathing became noticeably heavier.

"Karen… Before she let me go, she told me to tell you that…" He stopped, sighing heavily as he fought back the memories. "She wanted me to tell you that they were coming… For blood…"

Tom nodded slowly, his forehead creased with a deep, permanent frown. His eyes searched Hal over thoroughly, and despite how worn and pained he was, Tom felt he had to continue.

"Hal, when we found you, you… You were mumbling about Ben, and Matt… You said… You, uh, said you watched Ben… Die…" Tom swallowed, and he noticed the expression Hal's face took on as he finished speaking.

Hal's eyes began to shimmer with tears, and his chest heaved in and out tightly. Sweat glistened on his forehead and neck, and his face seemed devoid of all color. Hal looked like a ghost, and he had so much pain etched into his features that Tom nearly collapsed in despair.

"Dad… Not… Not now, okay…?" Hal closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Tom, his eyes haunting to Tom. "I'm… I'm tired… Can we talk later…?"

Tom nodded, fighting back tears. He wanted so badly to help Hal, but for the time being all he could do was let Hal rest and heal on his own. Maybe with time he would be able to help his son through this.

"When you're ready, Hal. When you're ready."

Tom strode to Hal's side, and without hesitation he bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of Hal's head, squeezing his shoulder gently as he did so. He pulled back and brushed a small strand of sweaty hair from Hal's forehead. Hal shifted uncomfortably at this affection, and held in a low moan of pain at his sudden movement.

Tom sighed softly, then bent down and gently lifted Matt from the bed. He held his youngest son in his arms, careful not to wake him up. He gave Hal one last feeble smile before departing as quietly as he had entered.

* * *

Three weeks passed, and Hal was slowly healing. Physically, at least. His mental health was a whole other, agonizing story.

He wasn't sleeping anymore. His mind wouldn't rest, therefore his body wouldn't either. Hal was exhausted, to the point of delirium. His body was still slightly stiff, and every time he breathed in or out he chest screamed in pain. But he wasn't bed-ridden anymore, and he had reluctantly been allowed back on patrol duty by his father and Captain Weaver.

Hal had moved out of the room he had been confined to after being taken back to Charleston. But he hadn't moved to the room his brothers shared. Instead, Hal had moved into Maggie's room.

He had moved in with her not only because he wanted and needed to be close to her, to feel her resting peacefully beside him at night when his thoughts and memories haunted him the worst, but also because of Ben. Hal hadn't seen Ben but once or twice since he had confessed of his time with Karen to him. Ben seemed distant to Hal now, but only to Hal. He wouldn't, or couldn't, make eye contact with him anymore, and this killed Hal. But he knew he deserved it.

There had been no signs of an enemy attack so far, but Hal knew that Karen was taking her time. He knew she would be planning something grisly, something so horrific, and he knew she would wait until she knew they were all unsuspecting.

Hal was wandering around the tattered streets of the new Charleston. He had needed some air, some time away from everyone and everything, so he decided to walk. Walking had always relaxed Hal, cleared his mind, but he found it did little now.

Hal inhaled sharply, ignoring the familiar pain that throbbed in his chest and sides. The air was cold and crisp, and it soothed Hal. The cold settled deep into his bones, pulling him into it. He sighed softly, finally managing to find some peace in his insane world.

But peace never lasted long. And Hal found himself ripped from his momentary time of relief as an unwanted person crossed his path.

"Well, if it isn't Prince Charming himself." Pope scoffed, a smirk taking residence on his face.

Hal sighed in frustration, glaring angrily at Pope.

"What do you want, Pope?" Hal's tone was agitated and rushed. He wanted to get away from Pope as quickly as possible.

Pope raised his hands defensively, noting Hal's tone.

"I was just saying hello, kid. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

Hal gritted his teeth and started to walk away, but Pope reached out and stopped him. His hand pressed on Hal's chest, and he winced slightly, a grimace appearing on his tired face.

"Whoa, slow it down, Mason. I wanted to talk to you 'bout something." Pope lowered his voice and met Hal's eyes evenly.

"What is it, Pope? I'm really not in a talking mood."

"Duly noted." Pope said sarcastically, sneering at Hal. "I hear your old man's been planning something with those "rebel" Skitters." Pope emphasized the word "rebel," indicating his distaste for them.

Hal's frame stiffened noticeably, and his hardened features began to crack, revealing a deep fear. He had been through this before. In the field, after Ben had... Pope had questioned him about the rebel attack, just before Karen had revealed herself and pulled Hal back into his cruel reality.

Hal stumbled back from Pope, his eyes slightly widened, his hands beginning to shake.

"Get the hell away from me." Hal mumbled, his eyes flicking fearfully. "I said get away!" Hal was practically shouting now.

Pope stepped closer to Hal, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Watch your tongue, kid. You might want to listen to what I have to say before you go off yelling at me." He snapped at Hal, his frustration clear.

Hal shook his head, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, despite the harsh, cold winds. He swallowed loudly and tried to calm his breathing, but he couldn't. He kept his eyes firmly placed on Pope, waiting for Karen to take his place.

Pope sighed as he looked at Hal. He could tell how worn out and tired he was, and he knew the kid had been through hell. He hadn't intended to come off so harsh and snide, but Pope always had trouble controlling his anger. He sighed again after a moment, and spoke in a more quiet voice.

"Look, I'm sorry about all that you've been through. From the bottom of my heart." Pope rested his right hand on his chest, right above his heart. "But there are bigger things to deal with right now, so I'm gonna need you to straighten the hell up and listen to me."

Hal hesitated, his gaze still set on Pope.

"I overheard your old man and the Captain talking earlier, about some rebel attack. The attack's been put on hold, something about the fish-heads having something up their sleeves. Got any idea what that might be, Mason?"

Hal clenched his jaw and glanced down at his feet. He looked back up at Pope, his expression guarded, but he remained silent.

Pope watched Hal, waiting or him to speak. Hal's eyes were almost unreadable, but Pope saw a flicker of fear in them. He glanced away briefly, sighing loudly. He wasn't really frustrated with Hal. He was frustrated with the whole situation. He felt like they were all sitting ducks.

"Kid, I'm gonna need some kind of answer. Do you have any idea what that blonde half-breed has planned, or not?" Pope huffed angrily, his eyes boring into Hal's.

Hal opened his mouth, as if to speak, but before any words found their way out, Ben approached them quickly, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Hal! Hal, have you seen Matt?" Ben panted out, his eyes still narrowly avoiding Hal's.

Hal's breath hitched slightly at his brother's presence, but he tried to keep his expression calm and relaxed. He bit down on his tongue hard before he spoke.

"No, I... No. I thought he was at school?" Hal scratched at his head nervously, glancing at his feet as he spoke.

Ben shook his head and swallowed, trying to catch his breath.

"He ditched. Dad can't find him anywhere, Anne and Lourdes haven't seen him. Maggie's helping me look around. I thought maybe you had seen him."

Ben glanced at Pope, who shook his head subtly, his face permanently hardened with a scowl.

"I'll help you look around." Hal said quietly, starting to head away from Pope. Pope reached out again and grabbed Hal's arm, though. Hal stopped, but he didn't turn to face Pope. He waited in a stiff, uncomfortable silence for Pope to speak.

"We'll talk later, boy. But we will talk." Pope's voice was lowered and hard.

Hal gave a slight nod, his face guarded. Pope released his grip on Hal's arm and watched him closely as he and Ben stalked off towards the center of town.

* * *

Hal rushed through the streets of Charleston, ignoring his aching bones as they protested.

"Matt!" He called out, looking all around him as he brushed through the crowds.

Hal stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Matt!" He made his voice as loud as he could.

"Hal!" Hal turned on his heels quickly. Maggie ran up to him, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"Maggie, any sign of Matt?" Hal put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"No, but Dai saw Matt and a few other kids hanging around Charleston's borders a couple hours ago. They were playing some game, but that's all Dai saw. The other kids aren't around either, so it looks like they probably took their game out of city limits. Tom's rounding up some guys for a search party." Maggie's voice was hurried and strained.

"Goddammit!" Hal ran his hands through his hair, tugging at it harshly. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment before releasing a long, shaky sigh.

Hal nodded, opening his eyes again.

"Let's go." He started to sprint towards the others who were heading out, Maggie right at his heels.

As Hal strapped his semi-automatic to his back and positioned himself on his bike, all Hal could think of was his promise to Matt:

_I'll never let anything happen to you, Matt. I'm going to keep you safe._


	17. Protect the Innocent

Hal sped through the streets as quickly as he could, his eyes flicking from side to side as he searched for Matt. It had begun to rain soon after the group of fighters had departed, and Hal fought the urge to close his tired eyes as the cool droplets splattered soothingly against his face.

Tom rode in the Humvee with Weaver, and Maggie, Hal, Dai, Ben, and Anthony all surrounding them on their stuck his head out of the window of the Humvee as they raced down the streets. He cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Matt!" Tom's voice boomed thunderously throughout the barren streets.

They had been out looking for close to an hour, and still there was no sign of Matt or the other children.

Hal glanced at Maggie. She was already looking over at him, and she turned her gaze back to the road as her eyes met Hal's.

"We're gonna find him!" She called out, her voice confident and her eyes determined.

"I know!" Hal shouted back, looking away again. But his voice lacked the confidence that Maggie's held.

"They're probably already back at camp. We're probably looking for nothing." Now Maggie was the one who sounded a little uncertain, but her features remained cool and impassive.

Hal nodded, but remained silent. He turned his gaze to his right, and something caught his eye. A little further down the road, on a sidewalk near a blasted brick building, Hal spotted a shoe. A child's shoe. And he immediately recognized the red stripe that wrapped around the black sole. It was one of Matt's shoes.

Hal's heart leaped painfully into his throat as he applied more pressure to the gas. Hal's bike surged forward, past Maggie, who looked at him with mild confusion.

Hal slowed as he reached the passenger window of the Humvee, and he shouted as loud as he could to catch his father's attention.

"Dad, pull over! Matt's near here!" Hal swerved shakily as his bike nearly collided with a shredded wooden box, but he pulled back to the window as his father spoke.

"What? How do you know?" Tom stuck his head out and watched Hal with a creased brow.

"His shoe! I saw his shoe back there!" Hal jerked a thumb behind him.

Tom immediately yelled out to Weaver.

"Turn around, now!" Weaver nodded promptly and he quickly turned off the road to head back. Hal spun around and indicated to the others to do the same.

Hal led the way back to the shattered building that Matt's shoe was beneath. Hal practically jumped from his still cranked-up bike as he reached the shoe. He raced towards it and snatched it up as he rounded the street corner.

"Matt!" Hal called out, clutching the shoe tightly. "Matt!"

The others followed behind him quickly, armed and ready to shoot at anything that moved. Tom, Maggie, and Ben caught up with Hal as he began to slow, both panting slightly.

"Dad, he's gotta be around here." Hal heaved, his knuckles white from holding the shoe so tightly.

Tom nodded briefly, checking out their surroundings. The streets appeared very empty, but looks could be deceiving. Tom swallowed and met Hal's stressed eyes once more.

"Just… Hold up for a minute, son. This could be a trap. We need to approach this carefully." Tom's voice was low and urgent. He knew Hal, and his hot head, and he needed to make sure Hal understood the risks that were likely present in the situation.

Hal looked as though he might protest for a moment, but he bit his tongue and nodded curtly. He glanced over to where Ben stood staring down blankly at his feet. Hal wanted so terribly to go over and talk to Ben, to at least make eye contact with him. But a part of him wouldn't let him. It was just too painful to be around Ben.

Hal sighed heavily and moved closer to Maggie. She silently took his hand, her eyes meeting his briefly. She wore an unreadable expression, but just the feeling of her hand in Hal's made his muscles relax ever so slightly.

Tom turned to the Captain as he approached them, and they exchanged a brief look before nodding.

"All right, we'll search these few blocks nearest us, and if we find nothing, we'll continue with the search tomorrow with more men and more guns." Weaver began to walk back toward the Humvee, but Hal reached out and stopped him, his face covered in confusion.

"You're kidding? We check out a couple blocks, then head back and leave Matt and those other kids out here for the night to fend for themselves? That's your plan?" Hal's voice rung with disbelief and anger, his eyes flickering between Tom and the Captain.

Tom sighed in unison with Weaver, and he spoke with a soft voice.

"Hal, we…" Tom began, but Hal cut him off.

"We what? We're just going to leave them out here for Skitters or Mechs to stumble across? He's nine, Dad! Head back when you want, but I know firsthand what'll happen if you do." Hal turned to continue his search for Matt, brushing past Ben and Maggie quickly.

"Hal!" Tom rushed and caught up with Hal, his face contorted into a mixture of pain and frustration. "What, you think I want to leave Matt anymore than you do? We have to be rational and cautious, though! We can't just go barrelling down every unknown street screaming out for him! We're low on men and ammo, Hal!"

Hal stayed silent and continued to walk , his eyes scouting out his surroundings for signs of any of the kids. Tom reached out and harshly grabbed onto Hal's shoulder, turning him around and forcing him to meet his eyes. Hal's eyes gleamed with a burning anger, and he reached up and snatched his father's hand away.

"If we leave tonight, we might as well not come back out tomorrow, Dad. You and I both know that. If we leave, Matt's as good as dead. You really want to lose another son, Dad? Because I'd have figured after you let Ben and me…-" Hal stopped as he felt a fist collide harshly with his face. He stumbled back a few steps before falling down carelessly.

Hal pressed a hand to his throbbing nose and stared at the palmful of blood that now stained it. Hal looked up at his father in confusion.

"Tom!" Weaver called out, his face concerned. He and the others started over quickly.

Tom stared down at Hal's bloody face, breathing heavily. His eyes shimmered painfully. He hadn't meant to hit Hal. He would never want to hit his sons. But as Hal had spoken, all the pain and stress that Tom had been holding inside for so long burst out, and Hal happened to be there when it did.

Hal blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but found no words could come out. He knew he had crossed a line with his dad, and that he deserved to get hit. But it was still a little surprising.

Hal struggled to his feet as the others ran up, concern on their faces. He turned and spit a mouthful of bloody saliva on the ground before wiping at his face roughly with the back of his hand.

Tom stepped forward, his face so pained that Hal felt his heart ache.

"Hal, I…-" Tom started weakly, but Hal shook his head, breathing out heavily.

"No, I… I'm sorry. I… I went too far. I deserved that." Hal nodded confidently, truly believing he had deserved for his father to hit him.

"No, no, Hal…-" But Hal cut him off again.

"Dad, let's… We should keep checking for Matt." Hal turned quickly and started off, wiping at his bloody face once more.

Ben and Maggie met Tom's eyes simultaneously, both expressing similar looks of concern. Maggie sighed softly and jogged after Hal, catching up with him after a moment.

Ben walked over to Tom, who still stood frozen in place, his heart throbbing as he replayed the moment when his fist collided with Hal's tired face. He had hit his boy. He had hit Hal. After everything Hal had been through, all the pain and suffering, now he also had the memory of his father hitting him etched into his mind. Tom swallowed tightly and closed his eyes.

Ben placed his hand on Tom's shoulder gently, causing his eyes to reopen. Ben sighed and looked back to where Hal and Maggie stood, their foreheads pressed firmly together.

"He understands, Dad. He's not angry with you." Ben spoke softly, hoping to reassure his father. Tom slowly shook his head, his eyes never leaving Hal.

"He's been through so much. Then I go and hit him. He needs me, and I hit him." Tom shook his head, letting it hang slightly in shame.

Weaver stepped up and placed his hand carefully on Tom's other shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Hal's going to be just fine, Tom. He's a strong young man, a fighter. He knows you're just overwhelmed. He's not upset with you, I'm sure." Weaver spoke reassuringly.

"Yeah, Tom! Hal's just stressed out right now, and he knows you are, too. He's not gonna be angry with you." Dai spoke up now, a soft smile resting on his face.

Tom sighed painfully. "I know. That's what I'm worried about. He thinks he deserved it." Tom watched as Hal and Maggie stood, pressed closely together, and he bit his lip harshly as he thought of what Hal must be feeling.

Hal closed his eyes, his forehead leaning gently against Maggie's. She pressed a warm hand to his cheek, and his eyes opened, meeting hers immediately.

"He didn't mean it, Hal. Tom's just upset. He would never intentionally hit you." Maggie's voice was soft and gently. She searched through Hal's eyes, hoping to read his emotions, but she only found emptiness.

Hal nodded against her head.

"I know. I deserved it. I was out of line, and I let myself get too angry. He needed to hit me. I needed to shut the hell up." Hal let out a shaky breath, his eyes shutting slowly.

Maggie sighed, still watching Hal carefully. He kept his eyes closed tightly, and he slowly slid his hands around Maggie's waist. She shuffled slightly at his touch, but soon relaxed into it, forgetting about all of her surroundings.

"Hal…" Maggie began, but she trailed off as words failed her.

Hal reluctantly opened his eyes, and he sighed.

"We need to head out, look for Matt before it gets too dark." Hal's voice was low and grim.

Hal began to pull away from Maggie, but he stopped suddenly, turning to face her solemn face once more. He looked at her for a moment longer before stepping as close to her as he could.

Maggie breathed out softly, looking up into his eyes. He bent down and pressed his lips softly to hers, letting his hand get tangled in her golden waves. He pulled back, his eyes set firmly on hers. He closed his eyes briefly, and then he turned and walked off towards the others silently.

* * *

Hal, Maggie, Ben, Dai, Anthony, Weaver and Tom searched those few blocks high and low until night fell upon them. Reluctantly, they left. They left Matt and the other boys alone for the night.

Once they reached town, Weaver organized a meeting with Bressler and Porter, requesting more men and weapons for a bigger search party in the morning. After a persistent argument, Porter and Weaver convinced Bressler to allow it.

Hal stalked back to the room he shared with Maggie, his feet dragging on weakly. He felt so empty inside, and despite the incredible exhaustion that sunk into Hal's bones, he knew sleep would not come for him tonight.

Hal pushed through the door and found the room was empty. He figured Maggie was wandering around, clearing her mind.

Hal slumped through the room and finally reached the bed. He collapsed on it, his head throbbing from his confrontation with his father earlier.

Hal looked down at his hands, which still tightly clasped Matt's shoe. His breath shuddered painfully, and he dropped the shoe to the ground. Hal let his head droop, resting it in his hands.

_How can you take care of me if you keep leaving?!_

Hal tugged at his hair, pulling on it hard. He sighed angrily. Hal felt like such a failure. He screwed everything up, and let everyone down, and now Matt could die because of it. His little brother could die, and it'd be entirely Hal's fault.

"Goddammit!" Hal shouted, the anger clear in his voice. He swiped up Matt's small shoe and threw it across the room. It collided with a table lamp, knocking it over with a loud crash.

The door to the room opened slowly, revealing a slightly pale Maggie. She had heard Hal shouting and something crashing, and she now met his weary, pained eyes.

Hal swallowed loudly and glanced away from Maggie, his breathing slightly erratic. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together tightly.

Maggie stepped in quietly, closing the door behind her. She stepped closer to Hal, his eyes still closed.

"Hal... We're going to find him. Matt's strong. He'll be okay." She reached Hal and put a hand to the side of his arm. His eyes fluttered a little, but they didn't open. He remained silent.

"Hal, it'll be okay. I promise." Hal's eyes shot open as she said _promise._

"Don't say that." He whispered, his eyes strained and empty. "Please, don't say that."

Maggie let out a breath and stepped closer to him.

"Hal, I do promise you that everything will be okay. You trust me?" Her voice was soft, but her words stung Hal.

He was sick of promises. He had made too many and kept none. He didn't want to hear any more promises. Matt was probably lying in a ditch somewhere, cold and... Hal's jaw tightened. He couldn't finish that thought, though he knew it to be true.

"Hal, do you trust me?" Maggie looked deep into Hal's eyes, so deep he felt like she could see right through him entirely.

After a moment of hesitation, Hal nodded. He always trusted Maggie, but he knew there was little if any hope this time. Matt had been missing for hours. He was out in the dark alone, completely defenseless and vulnerable to whatever predators may be lurking in the shadows. Hal had no idea how Maggie planned to keep her promise.

Maggie looked at the bed, and then back at Hal.

"Want to sit?" She mumbled, her expression guarded as Hal looked at her.

He nodded briefly and turned to sit on the bed.

Hal let out a low moan as he sat, his muscles aching. Maggie took a seat next to him, her leg pressed against his.

She looked at Hal, noting how tired he looked. He seemed only moments from passing out.

"You look exhausted, Hal. Why don't you try to sleep?" Maggie watched as Hal slowly shook his head, his eyes closing weakly.

Maggie didn't push him. Instead she nodded and looked at her feet.

Maggie looked back to Hal, her eyes full of concern. He was already watching her, his expression so intense that it sent a shiver down her spine.

Maggie sighed shakily and looked down at his hands, which rested near her thigh. Without hesitating, Maggie picked up his hand, running her fingers gently across his callused palm.

Her fingers smoothed over the thick scar that was etched into his palm. It was the scar he had given himself, after collapsing in the streets. He flinched noticeably as her fingers brushed across it slowly, but he didn't remove his hand from hers.

Instead, Hal watched as Maggie turned his hand over so she could inspect the scar. She looked at his closely, turning his hand to view it from different angles.

Without warning, Maggie leaned down a pressed a soft kiss to the scar. Her lips lingered on it. She allowed them to slowly trail down the length of the scar, stopping as she reached the end of the scar. Maggie took his hand in both of hers and pressed her nose gently to his palm, her eyes shutting as a small breath of air escaped her pale lips.

Hal watched her, his head cocked slightly. His hazel eyes more intense than they had ever been. It was then, in that moment, that Hal truly realized how much Maggie cared for him. He had always know she loved him, but as she kissed his wound, her cool breath faltering on his arm, he knew to what extent she loved him.

He could see all the pain she had felt in his absence, all the worry she felt for him, before and still now, all the love and passion she held for him. She was letting her thick, stone walls down for him. He felt his heart thud painfully and wonderfully in his chest.

Hal reached his free hand down and cupped Maggie's cheek gently. She opened her eyes and peered up at him, her lips still lingering on his palm.

"I'm here, Maggie." He whispered, his eyes boring deep into hers.

Maggie felt hot tears well up in her eyes, and she forced them back down. She nodded, her eyes closing briefly.

"I know." Maggie said, breathlessly. "I know."

Hal removed his hands from her, and she looked at him, confusion filling her beautiful eyes.

He reached over and gently tugged her into a laying position. She didn't fight him.

He moved so that he was lying next to her. He pulled her close to him, holding her to his chest firmly.

"Sleep, Maggie. I'm here tonight."

And soon, Maggie fell victim to his warm embrace, her breathing settling as her body relaxed against him.

Hal held her, his eyes never closing. He had let Matt down. Matt was out there, completely alone, scared and cold. But Hal was going to make sure that he kept Maggie safe tonight. He wouldn't lose both of them. And when morning came, Hal was determined that he would do everything in his power to make sure that he wouldn't lose either of them.


	18. Breaking Down

Hal stretched his sore muscles as he waited anxiously beside his bike, closing his eyes as cool rain droplets splattered on his cheeks. He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes again, glancing around to see if the others had been gathered up.

Weaver had gone off to round the other fighters up, but it was taking far too long for Hal's liking, and he found himself fighting an overpowering urge to head out on his own in search of Matt and the other boys.

Maggie walked over to Hal, her semi resting firmly in her hands as always. Her face was guarded and determined as she met his eyes.

"You ready for a fight?" Maggie questioned as she reached Hal. She watched him shift from foot to foot, his jaw tight.

"You know it. As soon as Weaver gives the word…" Hal indicated that he wouldn't be waiting around long once the others were there.

Maggie nodded curtly, glancing around them quickly. Hal watched as her eyes lingered somewhere off to their side, her face becoming noticeably paler and her jaw setting firmly.

Hal followed her gaze and sighed in frustration as Pope stalked over, his eyes flickering with mild interest as they rested on the two of them.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the royal couple themselves. And what happened to you, Mason?" Pope scoffed as he looked at the dark bruise that had formed on Hal's eye from his encounter with his father the day before.

"What is it, Pope? We're getting ready to head out." Hal was short with Pope, making sure the annoyance he felt was evident.

"Oh, I know. I'm part of your little search party. Your old man can't seem to keep up with you little brats, can he?" Pope chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming as he saw the anger boil inside of Hal.

"You…" Hal started furiously, but he trailed off as he thought of his conversation with his father the previous day. Hal was no better than Pope. So he stopped himself from speaking and pursed his lips, looking away briefly.

"I'm what? I'm out of line?" Pope laughed at this, taking a step closer to Hal. Maggie stiffened at Hal's side, her finger moving a centimeter closer to the trigger.

"Yeah, well, get used to it, kid. I like to make a hobby of crossing over lines." Pope turned his head and spat, then he brushed past Hal and Maggie.

Maggie sighed and turned to Hal, her face hardened.

"Don't let him get to you, okay? Just focus on getting Matt back." Maggie tried to reassure Hal, but he was too encased in his own mind to really focus on her words.

Hal nodded absentmindedly and sighed. He forced himself to tear his thoughts from his harsh words to his father and meet her eyes.

"Yeah, I-" Weaver cut Hal off, his thunderous voice booming throughout the crowd of fighters.

"Okay! Let's head out for our young soldiers!" Weaver shouted from the bed of a truck.

Hal glanced at Maggie, and they both nodded. Maggie turned and hurried back to her bike as Hal hopped on his. They both made no hesitation as they started up the bikes and sped off down the streets of the new Charleston.

* * *

Tom looked between Maggie and Hal, his eyes filled with anxiety. He silently motioned for them to move to the other side of the street and lay low. They did, moving quickly but quietly, and they settled into defensive positions, ready to kill.

The group had split up once they had reached the area they'd found Matt's shoe in, all heading off in separate directions in search of the boys.

Hal couldn't help but acknowledge the sick feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. Knowing that Matt could be experiencing something similar to what he had been through made Hal's skin crawl and his heart throb.

Tom grasped his gun tightly as he rounded the street corner. Hal and Maggie prepared to cover him if need be, but Tom soon reappeared and motioned for them to follow after him.

They jumped to their feet and raced after Tom, keeping a close eye out for danger as they did so.

Hal caught up to his dad and quietly called out to him.

"Dad, we've been looking for over an hour-" Hal started shakily, but Tom cut across him, his voice coming off a little harsh.

"We'll find him. He's fine." Tom continued on quickly, his eyes searching for his youngest son desperately.

Hal nodded stiffly and fell back next to Maggie. She shot a side glance at him and sighed softly.

"Don't give up yet, Hal. Matt's a tough kid."

Hal remained silent, seeming to have not heard Maggie. She didn't push him.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to shake ever so slightly. The three of them stopped simultaneously, and Tom spun on his heels to meet Hal's eyes.

"Mechs." He mumbled as Hal nodded hastily, his heart pounding in his chest. Hal side-stepped to Maggie and grabbed her arm, pulling her quickly with him. They took refuge behind a broken down car with a missing door. Tom moved to the other side of the street and ducked behind a rusty dumpster.

They all watched cautiously as one mech after the other thudded down the damp street. A small group of Skitters weaved in and out of the mech steps, and Hal felt a cold sweat coat his body as memories of his time with Karen flashed throughout his mind.

The mechs and Skitters slowly started to vanish as they moved further down the streets, but following close behind them was a group of harnessed children.

Hal's breathing became unsteady and painful, but it halted completely when his eyes rested heavily on one boy in particular. The boy was not his little brother, but Hal immediately recognized him as one of Matt's close friends. He must have been one of the boys playing with Matt when they disappeared.

Hal waved his hands quickly, trying to catch his father's attention. The veins in his neck throbbed as he mouthed at Tom, but Tom still watched the streets.

"Dad!" Hal whispered as loudly as he could. Maggie tensed beside him and placed her finger on the trigger of her gun, ready to fire if Hal attracted any unwanted attention.

"Dad!" Hal's voice had risen, but it was still hushed. He stood a little higher, still waving his arms frantically. "Dad!" His voice was a little louder than he had intended, but it caused his father to look over at him, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Over there!" Hal whispered, even though he knew his dad couldn't hear him. Tom shook his head, indicating that he couldn't understand Hal.

Hal jerked his finger in the direction of the harnessed children. Tom's eyes widened in horror, and he mouthed Matt's name, assuming Hal had seen him among the kids.

Hal shook his head quickly.

"Follow them." He mouthed slowly, so that Tom could read his lips easily. Tom squinted as he watched Hal, then looked back at the kids as they disappeared down the street. He looked back at Hal and gave a slight nod of understanding.

Tom moved to his feet quickly, hurrying towards the group of harnessed children. Hal and Maggie followed closely behind him, keeping an eye on his back.

They followed the group for several long miles. Hal made sure to keep his eyes on the young boy he knew to be a friend of Matt's.

The mechs and Skitters led the kids into what appeared to be a rundown factory. The mechs took guard outside, falling into a monotonous routine of making circles around the building. The Skitters followed the children inside.

Tom stopped across the street from the factory behind a mossy diesel rig, and pulled out the radio Weaver had given him for communication purposes. Hal and Maggie jogged to his side, waiting patiently for his orders.

"Dan, we located what appears to be a hideout for the Skitters and some harnessed kids. We think Matt might be here. One of the harnessed kids is a friend of his." Tom's voice was low and rushed as he spoke into the radio. He waited in an agonized silence for Weaver to respond, praying he wasn't out of range of his radio.

"Roger that, Tom. What's the location?" Weaver's voice was clouded with static through the radio.

Tom glanced around quickly, searching for a street sign.

"We're on 3rd Street. Across from a broken down factory."

"3rd Street. We passed that a little ways back. I'll round up Dai's group and we'll head your way, Tom. Stay put. Roger?"

"Roger." Tom sighed with relief as he tucked the radio back into his jacket pocket. He met Hal and Maggie's anxious gazes, then he looked back at the factory, his heart leaping into his throat at the thought of his boy being in there.

* * *

Weaver and Dai led their groups to the factory on 3rd street, silently moving towards where Tom, Hal, and Maggie all waited nervously.

"Looks like your boy's Skitter food now, Mason." Pope scoffed, glancing briefly at the heavily guarded factory. Hal watched as Weaver put a hand out to stop Tom from rushing at Pope angrily.

"Quiet, Pope." Weaver snapped quietly. He met Tom's pained eyes evenly. "Any plan on how to get past those mechs, Tom?" Weaver lowered his voice, his eyes flickering over the building.

Tom sighed and rubbed his hands over his face roughly before shaking his head.

"Lure them away..." Hal's quiet voice broke through the tense silence. All eyes fell on him.

Hal glanced at all of them, his eyes lingering on Maggie.

"Lure them away." He spoke with more confidence now. "Create a diversion. Then a few of us could slip into the building, grab Matt, if he's there, and as many kids as we can. We just need a diversion. There're too many mechs to sneak past. We need to keep them busy long enough to get inside."

Tom bit his lip before speaking.

"That's a great plan, Hal, but it's a suicide mission. Even if we manage to lure the mechs away long enough to slip in, there are still Skitters inside to worry about. Not to mention that there are three mechs, and we've had trouble with one in the past." Tom ran his hand through his wet hair, his brow creased with worry.

Hal swallowed and spoke in unison with Weaver.

"It's our only chance."

* * *

Weaver ordered Tector, Pope, Lyle, Lee, and Anthony to distract the mechs. They were to head down a couple blocks, set off a small explosion, and hold the mechs off long enough for Tom, Weaver, Hal, Maggie, Ben, Dai, and a few of General Bressler's soldiers to sneak into the factory.

The two groups split up, and several long minutes later, Hal heard the loud boom of an explosion a few blocks away.

The noise immediately caught the attention of the mechs, and they soon broke from their routine and began to flood down the street towards the source of the explosion.

They made no hesitations. Hal and the others immediately rushed to the building, armed and ready to fire at the awaiting Skitters. There were no Skitters in sight, but they all remained wary.

As Hal stormed into the factory, he found that it was not a factory anymore. It wasn't a hideout for the aliens. It was a harnessing facility.

Hal rushed down the halls, his eyes jumping between the rooms that contained moaning children strapped to tables. Hal's heart seized as memories exploded in his mind. He forced them back for now, deciding that the memories would have to wait to take him. He needed to focus on getting Matt for the time being.

Tom motioned to separate into smaller groups and search each room. Weaver and Tom went into one room, the Charleston soldiers into another, Ben and Dai into the next, and finally Hal and Maggie into the remaining room.

After checking thoroughly for Skitters, Hal and Maggie turned their attention to the groggy, confused children who lay defenseless on the tables. Some were already harnessed, their backs still bloody and freshly torn up.

Hal swallowed tightly and moved from table to table, searching for Matt's familiar curls. His heart dropped as he failed to find his brother.

Maggie looked up, her eyes filled with something Hal never thought he would find in her eyes: distinct fear. She shook her head and moved towards Hal slowly.

Maggie started to clear her throat, but she fell silent as she heard a familiar hissing sound come from behind her.

Maggie met Hal's horror-filled eyes before turning quickly to find a Skitter lurking in the shadows of the room. It slowly crept out towards them, releasing another low hiss.

Hal stepped towards Maggie, putting himself protectively in front of her. The Skitter turned its head towards Hal, a deep, sinister screech slipping through its mouth. Hal remained in place, determined to keep Maggie safe.

"Hal, did you find-" Tom and Weaver rushed into the room, followed by Dai and Ben, but they all stopped as their eyes rested on the Skitter before them.

Everything seemed to freeze. No movements were made for several long moments.

But soon the moment resumed. It happened very quickly, and Hal struggled to keep up with the pace of the events as they occurred.

There was a loud explosion outside of the building, and the walls shook violently, threatening to collapse. The mechs had returned.

As the explosion rocked the factory, the Skitter jumped up, releasing a deafening screech. Hal raised his gun and attempted to shoot it, but it crashed on top of him before his finger could pull the trigger.

Hal's gun slid across the floor and hit a wall, falling far from his reach. The Skitter pinned Hal's arms down temporarily, but he managed to break free, screaming in fury. Adrenaline raced through his veins viciously.

Hal moved to a crouching position, and without a moment of thought, he pulled the switchblade he had tucked into his boot quickly out. He lurched forward, and rushed the Skitter.

"Hal!" He heard his father call out to him, but Hal was focusing entirely on the disgusting beast in front of him.

The Skitter grabbed at Hal's arm with one of its pincers, and it tore deep gashes into his flesh, but Hal didn't feel it. He thrust his other arm at the Skitter, managing to catch its attention long enough to rip his armed hand free.

Blood pulsed down Hal's arm as he ripped it from the pincers, but he still thrust the knife at the Skitter.

Hal forced his hand deep into the Skitter's mouth, and with no hesitation or fear, he jerked his hand up and plunged the blade deep into the roof of the Skitter's mouth. It let out a piercing, bloodcurdling howl, then its eyes fluttered shut. Hal fell to his knees as the Skitter collapsed lifelessly on the ground, his arm still inside its mouth.

Hal pulled his shredded arm from the mouth of the dead Skitter and he sat back, dropping the blade to the ground.

"Hal." Tom panted as he rushed over. Maggie and Ben trailed close behind him, the faces mirroring each others concern. Dai and the Captain remained at the door, keeping watch.

Another explosion shook the ground, and it was much closer this time. Gunshots followed close behind the explosion, and Hal knew Pope and his gang were fighting back with everything they had.

"We need to keep looking, quick." Hal stood quickly, ignoring the weakness he felt. He sensed they didn't have long before the mechs reached the factory, and he sensed Pope and his crew had even less time.

Tom looked at Hal's blood-soaked arm and then met Hal's eyes carefully. "Hal, you're-" He started shakily, but Hal shot him a look that told him he was going to keep looking, no matter what.

Tom nodded stiffly and turned back to Weaver and Dai at the door as Hal picked his fallen gun up. Tom opened his mouth to speak, but a small, faint cry from above their heads caused him to fall silent.

"Help!" The cry was muffled through the walls, and the explosions outside made it very hard to tell where it was coming from.

"Help! Please, somebody help!" The cry was definitely coming from an upper level in the factory, and it definitely belonged to a child. Hal's heart surged. Maybe it was Matt.

Hal and Tom had a brief exchange before Tom turned back to the Captain.

Weaver met Tom's eyes and nodded, motioning for Dai to move out into the darkened hallway. He did, and the others followed quickly and quietly behind him. The Charleston soldiers waiting in the hallway already, their stances ready for battle.

Weaver indicated to move slowly up to the next level. Hal stayed near the rear of the group as they moved up the stairs, keeping an eye out for any other Skitters that may be lurking in the shadows.

They reached the second floor of the building, and as they did, they heard the cry again. It was still distant, but it was undoubtedly coming from one of the rooms on that floor.

"Help me, please!" The child cried out, sounding small and frightened. It was still too faint to tell if it belonged to Matt or not.

Hal stepped forward, but Tom reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Hal turned to face him and found that his father's eyes were cautious and skeptical.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Hal questioned, his eyes slightly widened.

"Something's not right. Just... Hold on..." Tom trailed off, his eyes still gazing down the seemingly empty hallway.

"Please help me!" The voice was shaking now, and small, choked sobs echoed weakly down the corridors.

"Dad." Hal looked at him, anxious to go and help the child. The sound of fright in the young voice sent shivers down Hal's spine, and it was becoming much harder to keep the memories from overpowering him.

When Tom remained silent, holding the others back as well, Hal spoke again. "Dad, what if that's Matt?"

"It isn't." Tom mumbled, still focusing on the corridors, searching for any signs of movement. The explosions outside had temporarily halted.

"How do you know?" Ben asked quietly, stepping closer. His eyes were wide, and his voice sounded younger than it had in years.

Tom didn't answer, but instead turned to Weaver.

"It's a trap." He whispered, his voice strained.

Just as Hal was about to protest, a swarm of Skitters flooded down the corridors, hissing quietly.

"Go, go, go!" Tom shouted, pushing Ben back towards the stairway. He tried to push Hal back, but Hal brushed past him and took his place beside Dai and Maggie as they fired into the ambush.

Weaver and joined them and they all fired, while Tom attempted to evacuate the others down the stairs. But three more Skitters emerged from the stairway, forcing Tom, the Charleston soldiers and Ben to shoot.

"Gahhhha!" Hal screamed, firing madly at the army of Skitters that rushed at them.

They were cornered in. Skitters had them pinned in from both sides, and even if they managed to get outside, the mechs were surely waiting for them. Pope and his crew were probably dead by now. It had, indeed, been a suicide mission.

"Got a plan, boss?" Maggie screamed at Weaver, still firing into the now slowing swarm.

"Working on it!" He shouted back, his voice gruff.

Hal briefly glanced away from the attacking army, and his eyes flickered on a room only a few feet away. It was sure to have a window. If they could push the Skitters back just a bit more, Hal figured he could hold them off long enough to get the others out. They had a better chance of survival outside than in, at this point.

"That room! Go through the window! I'll hold them off!" Hal stepped forward a bit, showing no fear.

"No!" Maggie and Tom shouted together. "Absolutely not, Hal!" Tom shouted firmly, struggling to fight off the last remaining Skitter in the stairway. He could hear more rustling on the floor beneath them, though, and his heart sunk as he realized it was their only chance.

"I'll stay with him, Tom! We'll keep them busy until you guys are on the ground!" Dai shouted, stepping forward next to Hal.

There was only one Skitter remaining, but Hal knew there were more coming, soon. He could sense it. And judging from the look on Ben's face, he could tell Ben knew it, too.

"It's our only hope, Tom, as much as I hate it!" Weaver shouted reluctantly.

They killed off the last Skitter, but they could see two more hurrying down the long hallway quickly towards them.

"Go!" Hal shouted, making a move towards the door. Weaver rushed in, followed closely by the Charleston soldier and Ben. Hal noted now that one of Bressler's soldiers lay dead on the ground near the stairway, deep, bloody wounds covering his chest. He felt sick and fought the urge to throw up as he looked upon the dead body.

Weaver rushed towards the window as Maggie, Dai, Tom, and Hal continued to push the remaining Skitters back. He opened it, and after deciding that the fall wasn't too bad, he helped the soldier out. Ben went next, but not until he had desperately protested. Weaver all but pushed him through the window, knowing Ben was a good fighter but also knowing this situation was too dangerous for him.

"Margaret!" Weaver called out, but Maggie shook her head, still shooting.

"Not a chance, Captain! I'm not going anywhere until these bastards are dead!" Her voice was determined, and Weaver knew she wouldn't budge.

"Tom, come on! Ben's gonna need you down there!"

Tom looked at Hal and called out to him.

"You only stay until they're dead! Don't go looking for anything or anyone, Hal! Promise me!" Tom shouted, desperation and fear echoing in his voice.

Hal nodded. "I promise!"

Tom reluctantly left, ducking out the window. It killed him to leave Hal, but he knew Weaver was right, and that Ben would need him out there.

Hal fired relentlessly with Maggie and Dai on either side of him. He saw nothing but a burning hatred for the disgusting creatures that rushed at him.

Hal was so enveloped in his hatred that it took him several moments before he registered Maggie calling out to him, telling him to go. It was only then that he registered the dead Skitters before him.

Hal nodded curtly and followed Maggie and Dai into the room that Weaver waited in. Hal made Maggie go first, sighing heavily with relief when she landed safely on the soft grass.

Hal was preparing to jump at Weaver's orders when he heard a small, muffled gasp behind him. Hal turned and felt his vision become hazy as he saw the pincer that pierced through Dai.

Weaver immediately fired at the Skitter that Hal had failed to see before, hitting it several times in the head. It fell over with a screech, Dai falling with it.

Hal watched as Dai's eyes rolled back in his head, blood dripping from his mouth. His skin immediately turned a ghostly pale, and after a very short moment his erratic breathing stopped altogether.

Hal didn't move. He didn't breathe. He simply stared at his friend's dead body. His best friend.

Dai had been with the 2nd Mass from the very beginning, and he and Hal had always been very close. They fought together, side by side. They joked with each other, and in a way, Hal felt like he had gained another brother from Dai. And now it felt like he had lost a brother. Another brother. Ben, and then Dai.

Hal suddenly felt very numb, and he mindlessly turned and jumped from the window as Weaver shouted at him to do so. Hal fell hard on the grass, but he didn't feel the impact.

He rose to his feet and stepped to the side as Captain Weaver fell beside him. Weaver grabbed Hal's shoulder and pulled him towards where Tom and the others waited in the bushes. Hal saw that Pope and his crew, who were all bloodied and slightly burned, waited also, and Hal figured they must have somehow fought off the mechs. But he didn't care.

Maggie grabbed Hal's hand as he reached her, and they all ran from the factory. Hal barely registered their movements, though, and it was only as they reached their vehicles half an hour later that he really let himself become aware of his surroundings.

"They just shut down. Don't ask me why." Pope was telling Weaver, sounding annoyed and gruff as always.

"Where's Dai?" Ben spoke up, glancing around. Tom and the others seemed to only notice now that Dai was not with them.

Hal felt something inside him break.

"Where's Dai?" Hal couldn't stop himself as a small laugh escaped his lips. He didn't want to laugh, but he couldn't help himself. Hal was completely breaking down now, all of the stress and pain he had bursting out in a wild, excruciating tantrum.

"Where's Dai?!" Hal was in hysterics now, doubling over he was laughing so hard. His shoulders shook as the laughs racked his body. Everyone fell silent and watched Hal carefully.

"Where's... Where's Dai?" Hal fell to his knees, clutching at his stomach as he tried to control his laughing. He failed.

"Hal..." Tom stepped closer to his son, his eyes wide with horror as he watched his oldest son crack.

"Dai's dead, Ben! He's dead! He's... He's dead!" Hal choked on his laughs now, his chest heaving in and out painfully.

His mind replayed the moment that Dai had died, the blood that had rolled from his open mouth, the pincer that had stabbed into his back and through his stomach. His eyes rolling back into his head.

Hal started to breath in so heavily now, and he was soon gasping for air. He felt like he was suffocating. Hal grabbed at his aching chest fearfully, desperately trying to breathe.

Maggie, who was watching in horror as Hal broke down, now knelt hastily at his side, placing her hands on his shoulders gently.

"Hal, breathe. It's okay. Just breathe." She spoke soothingly. She knew he was having a panic attack, and that he was in the midst of a nervous breakdown from all the stress he had been forced to carry all this time. She had been there herself at one point, so she figured she would be able to help him better than anyone.

"Dai's... Dai's dead." Hal panted out, coughing loudly as he fought to catch his breath. He glanced up and looked around at the other fighters. They all watched him with deep concern. Even Pope and his crew looked genuinely upset as Hal broke down.

Hal met his father's eyes. Tom stood rigidly before Hal, looking desperate to help him.

"I... I..." Hal looked at Ben now, and that's when he couldn't take it anymore.

Hal's face crumpled into one of such deep pain and horror. He felt hot tears spill down his cheeks quickly, and soon he was sobbing.

Hal wept, so fiercely that he began to choke. Maggie cradled him close to her, pulling his head into her warm chest. He clutched at her back helplessly.

Hal sobbed so terribly hard, his tears soaking Maggie's shirt. His cries were so weak and strained, and they were filled with such a haunting agony that Tom couldn't stop himself as the tears slowly slid from his eyes as well.

Ben watched silently as his brother wept, feeling his heart race. Ben fought back the urge to weep with him as he heard the desperation and pain in Hal's cries. He wanted to comfort his big brother, but Ben was frozen as he gazed upon his grief-stricken brother.

Hal couldn't stop the sobs as they tore through his weakened body. He couldn't force back the pain and memories any longer. They were washing him away, as he always knew they would. Hal held onto Maggie as tightly as he could, needing to feel her.

All the pain hit him at once. It collapsed on top of him and smothered him. Hal choked on his cries as he thought of the mech murdering the children. His thoughts floated through each memory slowly and painfully. The death of his mother, pain in his father's eyes, the fear in Matt's voice, the lifelessness of his little brother, Dai's gruesome death, Matt disappearing. And as Hal thought of Matt, it dawned on him that Matt was still missing. They had failed to find him. They may never find him.

Hal suddenly felt incredibly dizzy, and his body became very weak. He slumped against Maggie, only half-conscious. He vaguely felt Tom lift him to his feet and help him into the bed of the truck.

Tom layed Hal down gently, his face streaked with tears. Hal couldn't focus much, but he felt Maggie sit beside him. He felt her take his hand.

Hal's eyes closed weakly, but he forced himself to stay awake.

"We didn't find him." Hal mumbled faintly.

Tom barely managed to catch his quiet words.

"We'll find him, Hal. We'll get Matt back. Just rest for now." Tom sounded exhausted and terrified. He looked down at Hal's pale face, and he bit back a sob. He gazed upon the bruise he had given him, and Tom found himself desperately fighting the urge to scream out in frustration and agony.

They would get Matt back. They had to. Tom didn't think he could go on if they didn't, and he was certain Hal couldn't.

Tom placed a shaky hand on Hal's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"We'll get him back." He whispered.


	19. One Week

Hal layed in the bed of the truck as they drove down the streets. He felt each and every bump in the road, and in that moment, those bumps were _all_ that Hal felt.

Hal's thoughts all seemed to have frozen. He couldn't form any words or thoughts. All he knew were the bumps that jerked his body back and forth. Nothing was real to him as he lay in the bed of that truck.

Tom sat stiffly next to Hal, his face pale. He gripped on to the sides of the truck as it shook.

Tom found that he couldn't look down at Hal. He wanted so badly to look into his son's eyes and comfort him, but he couldn't do it. It was far too painful. Tom had realized, after Hal's breakdown a few moments before, how much Hal was truly hurting. He had always known that Hal was struggling with all that he had been through, but now he knew to what extent, and it frightened Tom to his very core.

Tom glanced over to Maggie, who sat on Hal's other side, her hand tightly wrapped around his. Her eyes were staring down intently at Hal. She hadn't looked away from him for one moment since he had collapsed in the street.

Tom could see all the love she had for Hal in her eyes at that moment. He had known Hal and Maggie had become very close in the last year. They were sleeping in the same bed, but Tom had assumed that was mostly because Hal was desperate to avoid his family. He had been so distant after they found him.

But as Tom gazed at Maggie, he knew that what she felt for his son was more than a simple teenage relationship, that it was complete and undeniable love, and he could only assume Hal felt the same for her.

It suddenly dawned on Tom that there was so much about Hal that he had missed out on. Before the attacks, he had missed a few lacrosse games, and a dinner or two. There were those days when he had to work late, and he'd come home to find Hal already in bed. But he always felt he was close to his oldest, and he felt like he had a good understanding of him.

But after the attacks, when Rebecca had been killed, Tom had started to almost neglect Hal. He hadn't meant to. He loved Hal with all of his heart, and he wanted to be with him every second of every day. But it had been too hard to be around Hal after his wife had passed. Hal was so similar to Rebecca that she was all Tom could see when he looked at him, and it was agonizing.

Hal was so strong, so determined, and he'd always been independent. He had always been able to take care of himself, and after the attacks, he had proven himself more than capable of taking care of his little brothers as well, especially when Tom had been taken on that ship. Hal had really stepped up, and in a way, he had assumed the role of a second dad for Ben and Matt. And because of all of this, Tom had felt that it was almost okay to leave Hal be, and to focus all of his attention on his two youngest. He now realized how terribly, terribly wrong he had been.

Hal was strong, stronger than most people in the world they now lived in. But he was still a boy. He had grown so much after the invasion, but there was still a part of him that was just a boy, a boy who needed his daddy. And Tom had seen that part of Hal when he had broken down after Dai's death.

Tom had been selfish. He had been so concerned with his own pain and fear that he had forgotten that Hal still needed a father. Hal had been forced to grow up so fast, and he had been forced to take on the role of a surrogate parent when he had only been seventeen years old. And on top of that, every horrible thing that Tom could ever imagine happening to someone, and more, had happened to Hal. And Tom hadn't been there for his son to properly help him through it all. And Tom was so incredibly sorry for it all.

He was sorry that Hal had been the one to find Rebecca's body, instead of himself. He was sorry that Hal had to grow up so fast, and become both a soldier and a parent when he was still so young himself. Tom was sorry that Hal had seen innocent children be murdered at the hands of someone he once cared for greatly. He was sorry Hal had been bugged by Karen, and lost all control of himself. He was sorry Hal had been abducted by Karen, and tortured so badly. Tom was so sorry for how much Hal was hurting, all of the things he had witnessed, all the guilt he felt, and now the death of his closest friend. Tom was just sorry.

Hal forced his eyes to reopen, forced himself to focus on something real. He saw Maggie instantly, and his eyes settled firmly on her. He let himself take all of her in. All of her beauty, her kindness, her passion. All of those things about her felt very real to Hal, and he managed to find a small amount of comfort in them.

Maggie was already staring right at him, and as she saw his eyes meet hers, she unintentionally tightened her grip on his hand.

Hal tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. So, he simply stared at Maggie, needing to see her, needing to know she was real, that she was there with him. Hal just needed Maggie.

As they looked deep into each others eyes, Hal felt himself shift forward harshly, his feet colliding with the tailgate of the truck. The truck had suddenly come to a stop.

Despite being so incredibly numb and weak, Hal sat up. Maggie and Tom both rose to their feet in an instant, armed and ready to kill. Tom glanced around quickly, searching for the cause of their abrupt stop. Hal watched as his father's eyes settled on something in front of the truck, and he watched as any color in his face vanished.

Maggie's eyes followed Tom's, and she, too, became devoid of color. Hal rose to his feet shakily, a small, pained gasp escaping his lips as he did so.

Hal turned his attention to what had caught Tom and Maggie's attention, and he soon found himself struggling to stay standing.

Some forty feet in front of all the vehicles was the alien ship Hal had been held captive in just weeks before. A few yards in front of it stood a trembling, sobbing Matt, and pressed right into his side was Karen. She had a gun pressed to Matt's temple. Hal immediately stepped forward in the truck, nearly collapsing as he did.

_No, no, please, no_, Hal thought desperately, his heart about to explode in his chest.

Hal's hand flew to his pocket, where his pistol rested. He gently pulled it out, hoping to not catch Karen's attention by doing so.

Karen's eyes immediately flickered to Hal, and a sinister, gnarly grin appeared on her face.

"Hello, Tom, Hal!" Karen shouted, stepping closer to the vehicles. She pushed Matt in front of her as a shield when everyone raised their weapons.

Tom turned and jumped off the side of the truck, walking closer to Karen, still grasping his gun firmly. Maggie and Hal quickly jumped off, too, and followed in his steps.

Karen wrapped her arm around Matt's heaving chest, pulling him closer to her body. She kept the gun pressed to his head, her finger hovering over the trigger.

Hal had his pistol aimed directly at her forehead, and as soon as he had a clear shot, he planned on taking it. But he had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that was telling him there would be no clear shot to take.

"Dad!" Matt cried out. He sounded so young, and so frightened. Hal's stomach lurched painfully.

"What do you want?" Tom yelled out as he took a step closer to his youngest boy. His eyes were filled with such desperation and fear. He couldn't lose his son, any of them.

Karen tore her eyes from Hal as Tom spoke, and met his eyes evenly.

"How about you tell me about your little alliance with the Rebel Skitters, and about that attack you're planning, in exchange for your youngest?" Karen called back, her eyes practically sparkling with malice.

Tom looked torn. He couldn't give up their plan, but he couldn't lose Matt.

"I-I can't do that!" Tom reluctantly yelled out after a minute or two. He continued to inch closer to Matt and Karen.

"Now, Tom. You wouldn't let little Matty here die, would you? He's your son. You're so willing to give up his life?" Karen called, her tone mocking and menacing.

Hal watched as Karen's finger rested comfortably on the trigger, ready to pull it at a second's notice. It was then that Hal knew what he had to do.

Hal knew Tom wouldn't budge. He knew that, as much as he loved his sons, he would have to put the safety of the entire 2nd Mass before any individual, even his own son. And Hal knew that even if, by some chance, Tom decided to save Matt and give up their plan, Karen would still kill Matt. And Hal wouldn't let his baby brother die. He couldn't let him die.

Hal glanced over at Maggie, who was standing rigidly at his side, her eyes gleaming with hatred and fury.

"Maggie…" Hal whispered. His voice was quiet, but she caught it instantly.

Maggie turned to Hal slightly, her eyes questioning.

"You're so beautiful." Hal breathed, his face soft and emotional. Maggie's lips parted to speak, but Hal continued.

"In all my life, I've never seen someone so beautiful. I love you, Maggie. God, I love you so much. Remember that." Hal reached out slowly and took Maggie's hand, squeezing it a little.

"Hal, what-" Maggie started, her eyes shimmering. She knew what Hal was thinking, but she didn't want to acknowledge it. She couldn't lose Hal Mason.

"Take care of Ben, and Matt. Tell them I'll always love them." Hal felt a cry rise in his throat, but he forced it down.

"And tell my Dad I'm sorry. For everything." Hal finished softly.

Without any warning, Hal took the half-step he needed to reach Maggie, and pressed a firm, loving kiss to her lips. He put a hand to her waist, memorizing how she felt beneath his fingers. When he pulled away, Maggie let a small cry escape her lips, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks.

Hal gave her one last long look, his eyes expressing all the love he felt for her. She felt it. She felt his love, and she knew he felt hers.

"Goodbye, my love." He whispered softly. Then, he pulled his hand from her waist, his fingers lingering a bit longer.

He stepped away slowly and raised his hands, letting the pistol dangle from his thumb loosely.

"Take me." Hal called out loudly, his eyes still resting on Maggie. Tom had opened his mouth to make some sort of compromise with Karen, but now all eyes turned to Hal as he continued to back towards Karen.

Hal reluctantly turned his back to Maggie, and faced Karen, a shiver shooting down his spine at the sight of her.

Karen cocked her head slightly, her finger moving away from the trigger of the gun slightly. She looked amused, and mildly eager.

"Hal-" Tom started shakily, fear striking through his body. He couldn't let Hal go with Karen. He knew what he was trying to do, and Tom had to stop it.

"Take me!" Hal called out again, ignoring his father completely. "You need leverage, so take me. Give my father some time to think. Let Matt go, and take me with you while he decides what he wants to do."

Hal knew what Tom would do, what he would have to do. Hal knew this was a death sentence, that Tom couldn't jeopardize the entire 2nd Mass. But if Karen was going to use one of them as leverage, it would be him, not Matt.

"And why would I do that?" Karen called back, still smiling.

"Because you know it's me you want." Hal stated simply, sounding completely empty of emotion.

Karen looked at Hal with a distinct curiosity, her lips still curled up in a frightening smile. After a brief moment of consideration, Karen nodded, lowering the gun from Matt's head.

"Hal!" Tom shouted, the fear in his voice clear. "Hal, stop!"

Hal pushed forward through the fighters. He moved very slowly, and stiffly, but he showed absolutely no fear. The last time he had seen Karen, he had showed fear, and she had used it against him. He wouldn't give her that opportunity again.

Hal brushed past Pope, who briefly grabbed his shoulder.

"You got balls, kid. I'll give you that." Pope muttered, looking Hal directly in the eye. For a moment, Hal thought he saw a flash of respect and genuine care in Pope's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Hal nodded slightly, and continued closer to Karen. He finally made his way through all of the fighters.

It was then that Ben stepped forward, reaching out and stopping Hal for a moment.

"She'll kill you. I can hear her." Ben whispered, his voice grave.

Hal reached up and gently removed Ben's hand from his shoulder so that he could continue to Karen. He bit his lip and gave Ben a small, sad smile.

"Take care of Dad. He'll need you." Hal whispered, holding Ben's pained gaze evenly. Ben opened his mouth as if to speak, but instead he took a step backwards, still looking into Hal's tired eyes. He let out a small breath, desperately trying to hide his emotions, but failing.

"You've always been my hero." Ben mumbled, sounding slightly choked and a little embarrassed.

Hal started to turn away, letting out a painful chuckle.

"You've always made me proud." Hal said quietly as he started towards Karen again.

He reached Karen, and as he did, she released Matt, who immediately ran into Hal's arms. Hal picked Matt up and held him tightly, his eyes shutting. Matt clung desperately to Hal, his small legs wrapping around his big brother's waist.

"Please don't go, Hal." Matt cried into Hal's shoulder.

"It'll be okay, buddy. I'm going to be okay." Hal mumbled, kneeling down so that he could put Matt on the ground again.

_Stop lying to him_, Hal's mind screamed at him furiously.

Matt stood before Hal, his little shoulders shaking as he cried. He hung his head, but Hal gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze, causing him to look up.

"You know I love you?" Hal looked at Matt intently. Matt nodded weakly.

"You know I'm proud of you?" Again, Matt nodded, wiping at his cheeks angrily.

"I'm always gonna be your big brother. You remember that." Hal whispered. Matt nodded, his bottom lip trembling. He bit down on it to keep from crying.

"You're so brave, Casper. Now I need you to go back to Dad, okay? Go stay with Dad." Hal pulled Matt to him quickly, pressing a kiss to his dirty forehead. Hal stood slowly and gave Matt a gentle push back towards the group.

As Hal watched Matt run clumsily back to where their father stood, he met Tom's eyes. Tom was frozen in place, unable to move or speak as he watched his oldest boy give up his life to save his little brother. He wanted so badly to stop him, to give himself up in place of Hal, but he knew that would never work. Hal was right. Karen wanted him, and no one else. It was their only real option, and that killed Tom.

Hal held Tom's gaze for a moment longer, a small smile forming on his features. He nodded at Tom, and then his eyes flickered across the rest of the group. Pope and his crew were shuffling somewhat anxiously, some looking at Hal, some looking at the ground. Pope was staring directly at Hal, his jaw tight. Hal skimmed through the crowd, nodding briefly at Anthony, and smiling weakly at Ben. Weaver nodded at Hal respectfully, his expression one of a proud Captain.

Hal finally let his eyes rest on Maggie once more, soaking in her beauty for what he could

only assume would be the last time. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her beautiful brown eyes were slightly bloodshot. The hand that wasn't holding her gun was pressed firmly to her chest, as if she were in pain.

Hal struggled to control his emotions as he realized he would probably never see Maggie again. He managed to stay strong, though. Hal let out a soft breath of air and smiled at Maggie. The smile was so genuine and loving that it caused a choked sob to rise in her throat. She somehow managed to return the smile, biting down harshly on her lip.

Hal turned slowly to face Karen, who looked both disgusted and amused.

"One week, Tom! I'll give you one week to make your final decision. Your son's fate is in my hands!" Karen shouted mockingly, her voice echoing throughout the entire street.

Karen extended her cold, bony hand for Hal to take.

He grimaced and felt sick to his stomach as he looked at her, but he took her hand. A shiver went down Hal's spine as their skin touched, and he wanted so terribly to rip his hand away and run back to the others. But he let Karen pull him towards the ship, his feet dragging numbly beneath him.

Hal knew what was in store for him. He knew Karen would kill him on that ship, and that it would be a slow, excruciating death. But if it meant that Matt, and the rest of the 2nd Mass could live, then Hal was okay with it.

As Hal boarded the dark, sinister ship with Satan herself holding his hand, Hal felt frightened. But then he thought of Matt, and how he would get to grow up, live his life, however long it may be. He would get to fall in love, as Hal had with Maggie. Maybe he would survive to the end of the war, and get the chance to start a family of his own in a new, safer world. He would get to be with Tom, and Ben, and he would always know how much Hal loved him, how much he meant to his big brother. He would know that Hal had kept his promise. He had kept Matt safe.

And that was all Hal needed to know to fight away the fear he felt as he boarded that ship and left his family behind.


	20. Fighting Back

Hal's head throbbed with a burning pain. His eyes fluttered open weakly as he turned his head slightly, and a wave of nausea immediately hit him from the sudden movement.

A bright, almost blinding light shone down on Hal, causing him to squint. He released a low moan, and slowly his eyes became slightly adjusted to the brightly lit room.

He glanced around slowly, careful not to jerk his head too quickly so the pain wouldn't escalate. For a moment, Hal looked around the room in mild confusion, wondering where he was. But then he remembered.

Soon after he had boarded the ship with Karen, a few Skitters had thrown Hal into this blindingly bright room, and left him there. It had been more than three days.

The room almost reminded Hal of a solitary confinement room in a psychiatric facility. Every inch of the small room was white, and the only light hung suspended from the ceiling, and it was so bright Hal couldn't open his eyes fully. The light was always on, and Hal had soon found himself praying for darkness.

Hal slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning back against one of the walls for support. He sighed and rubbed at his stinging eyes.

Something suddenly caught Hal's eye. A small bowl-like object rested a foot or two from his right foot, and Hal saw the familiar sparkle of water inside it.

Ignoring the pain in his head and the weakness in his body, Hal scrambled towards the bowl, grasping it in his shaky hands. He lifted it to his lips and moaned in pleasure as the lukewarm water soothed his dry throat.

Since Hal had entered the ship three and a half days ago, he had received no food or water. He had forced himself to stay awake, hoping to confront whoever or whatever brought in his food. When no one came in after three days, Hal gave up hope for food or water and allowed his exhaustion to claim him for an hour or two. He hadn't thought he would be waking back up.

Hal tossed the bowl carelessly to the side when he drank all of its contents. The bowl, which was made of a thin, glass-like material, shattered as it collided with the ground, sending a loud cracking sound throughout the room.

Hal sighed and settled back against the wall again, letting his eyes close for a brief moment.

"Hal, what are you doing?" His eyes opened at the sound of his father's voice.

Tom knelt before Hal, his face tired and earnest. Hal didn't feel shocked at the sight of his father. He knew he was hallucinating, undoubtedly from sleep deprivation and being confined in that room for so long. But Hal was too tired to care, and if he was being honest, he was happy to have the company.

"What do you mean?" Hal mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"Why are you just sitting there? Fight back! Get up, throw things around, beat on the walls, scream! Do _something_!" Tom's voice was loud and slightly harsh, but it had little, if any effect on Hal.

"I'm tired, Dad." Hal said quietly, his eyes shutting involuntarily.

"You are not doing this, Hal! Get up, and fight back! Do you think I would just give up if I was in your place?" Tom looked at Hal intently, waiting for him to stand up and start fighting. But Hal remained slouched against the cold wall.

"No." Hal stated, his eyes still shut.

"Then why are you?"

"Because I'm not you."

"So that means you just give up? You've never given up, Hal! Not once in your entire life! So why now?" Tom's tone was angry, and almost taunting.

Hal opened his eyes and looked at his father evenly.

"I was never getting off this ship. We both knew that." Hal's voice was hollow, yet firm. He continued to look at Tom, his eyes never faltering.

"You are goi-" Tom started, his voice still loud and determined.

"No, I'm not. I was dead the moment I took Karen's hand. She was never going to let me _live_!" Hal spat back at Tom, forcing himself to sit up straight. "She's going to either get what she wants from you, or she isn't, but either way, _I'm_ _dead_."

Hal pushed himself to his feet. He was in such a delusional state that he barely registered how weak and sore he was.

Hal began to pace in front of Tom. He glanced down at him, his eyes narrowed.

"And who are _you_ to judge _me_? Huh?" Hal shouted accusingly, jabbing his finger in Tom's face. Tom remained silent and kneeling on the ground, watching Hal with a deep intensity.

"You know, you were pretty ready to give up after you got back from walking onto that goddamn ship! You didn't stop once to think about how you were affecting Ben or Matt, did you?" Hal stopped in front of Tom and looked down at him angrily.

"What about how I was affecting you?" Tom asked quietly, looking up into Hal's eyes.

Hal fell silent, his brow furrowing as his father's words sunk in.

"What about it? I was fine. Ben and Matt were the ones who needed you, but you weren't there." Hal's tone was quieter and a little more calm, but it still had a sharp edge to it.

"You needed me, too." Tom stood up and looked into Hal's eyes closely, seeming to search through them.

"Ben and Matt-" Hal started slowly, but Tom cut him off.

"Needed me. But so did you. You're still my son, Hal." Tom reached out and gently placed his hands on Hal's shoulders.

Hal stared at Tom for a moment, unable to speak.

He had grown up so quickly after the invasion that he had stopped relying on his father for pretty much everything. It had all happened so quickly and chaotically that Hal had never really taken the time to stop and think that maybe he did still need his father for some things. Sometimes Hal forgot that he was really just a kid himself. It was hard, and almost painful, for Hal to think about it. In this world, there were no children. Everyone had to grow up immediately. And Tom's words only reminded Hal of that.

"I was fine-" Hal tried to speak again, but Tom shouted over him.

"Oh, come on, Hal! Are you really going to stand there and tell me you were fine, that you are fine, after everything you've been through?! Stop kidding yourself! You're not fine, Hal!" Tom's voice echoed throughout the room, causing Hal's ears to ring.

"Stop it!" Hal shouted angrily, clapping his hands over his ears like a child. He couldn't let himself think about everything, not when he was already feeling so trapped. He couldn't take it.

"Stop what, Hal?! Stop being honest?! What is it you're afraid of? Is it the memories? The taunting, terrifying memories? They never go away, do they, Hal?" Tom stepped closer to Hal, cocking his head to the side.

"Stop talking!" Hal pressed his hands tighter over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to shut his father out.

"Which one's the worst, Hal? The one where you found my dead wife's body, blood still pouring from her wounds? Or maybe all those innocent little kids being blown to pieces?" Tom continued to step closer to Hal, who was practically shivering with fear.

"Shut up!" Hal's scream was piercing, the memories already beginning to seep into his mind. He stumbled back, trying to move away from Tom.

"Maybe it was Ben's neck snapping, as he looked into your eyes for help. Or when Dai was killed because you went through the window first." Tom was merely inches from Hal.

Hal fell to his knees, still pressing down hard on his ears to shut Tom's cold words out.

"Please stop!" Hal begged hoarsely, feeling as though he may explode at any second.

Tom knelt down next to Hal, whose eyes were still squeezed tightly shut.

"Fight back, Hal. Even if all you can do is injure _one_ of them, do it. Stop feeling guilty about things you couldn't have controlled, and _fight back_." Tom said, his tone much calmer, yet still firm.

Hal's eyes opened slowly, and he let his hands fall from his ears. He glanced up at Tom, feeling as though he were a thousand years old.

"How?" His voice was weak, and it cracked slightly.

"When did they bring you water, Hal?" Tom lowered his head a little to meet Hal's eyes evenly.

"When I was sleeping…" Hal mumbled, his head beginning to pound.

Tom remained silent, his eyes boring into Hal's.

Hal held Tom's gaze, searching his face for an answer. Then it hit him. They'd brought him water when he'd passed out. They had only come into the room when he had been asleep, because he posed no threat unconscious.

"They come in when I'm asleep because I'm a threat awake." Hal said slowly. He straightened his back up and eyes Tom curiously.

Tom smiled, and Hal almost felt better at the sight. But he knew this wasn't really his father. It was only a hallucination.

"That's my boy." Tom whispered, his eyes filled with a familiar warmth and admiration.

Hal let out a sharp breath, and for the briefest moment, his eyes closed.

But that was all it took. When Hal opened his eyes again, Tom was gone.

Hal looked around the room, hoping his eyes might skim across his father's scruffy face. But he was alone.

Hal lowered his eyes to the ground, his chest tightening. He wanted so badly for his father to come back to him, but he knew he wouldn't. Not yet.

Hal's eyes were suddenly drawn to the shattered bowl in the corner of the room. He focused on one particularly long a sharp piece.

Tom would come back soon. But first, Hal needed to fight.

* * *

Hal had been lying on his side for close to four hours, his eyes remaining firmly shut. Four hours, but still no Skitters, and no Karen.

Hal ran his finger across the shard hidden in his hand. He applied a small amount of pressure to the tip of it, feeling it tear into his skin harshly. He almost smiled. He could already imagine himself thrusting the shard deep into a Skitter's skull.

Hal knew he wouldn't be able to escape the ship. He would be able to take on one Skitter, but more would surely come and overpower him. He knew he wouldn't be able to break free of captivity, and he was okay with that. Part of him didn't want to escape. If he did, Karen would surely order an attack on the 2nd Mass and all those seeking refuge in the New Charleston. All he wanted to do was... Fight back.

A quiet clicking sound suddenly echoed near Hal's back, followed closely by a low, nearly silent creaking. Hal's muscles tightened slightly, but not noticeably so. The door to the room was open.

For a moment, there was only silence. Just as Hal began to wonder if he imagined the noises, a cool breeze brushed over his still body. The small amount of light that managed to shine through his closed eyelids suddenly vanished, leaving him in darkness. Hal felt a shiver run down his spine, but he remained still.

Hal heard the familiar hiss of a Skitter somewhere above him, and it took all he had to maintain his composure. He wanted to scream and cry out in fear, but that would ruin his plan. So Hal kept quiet and focused on his breathing to calm himself until the time was right to make his move.

A steamy, gnarly breath washed over Hal, nearly causing him to gag. He felt the Skitter inch closer to him, another quiet hiss escaping its mouth.

_Wait for it,_ Hal thought anxiously.

The Skitter hissed a little more loudly. Hal felt the breath become hotter on his skin, and he heard the creature move closer to his body.

_Wait for it_...

A low screech flowed through the still air. Hal tensed his body subtly, preparing himself for what would happen in the next moments.

_Wait... _

Hal felt the hot breath on his body again, and with it came a small amount of thick saliva. The Skitter was directly above him, its face merely inches from Hal's.

_Now. _

Hal twisted the shard in his hand so that he was holding it like he would a knife. He pushed himself up and turned, forcing the shard directly into the Skitter's mouth.

The Skitter released a loud screech, sounding similar to nails on a chalkboard. It grasped Hal's arm with one of its pincers, squeezing it so tightly that Hal dropped the shard. It fell to the floor hard, but it didn't shatter.

The Skitter quickly lifted the electric staff it held in its other pincer, and in a swift movement it jabbed the back end into Hal's stomach with such force that he fell to his knees gasping.

Hal's eyes fell to the shard resting a few feet away, and he immediately scrambled to it, swiping it in his hands. He jumped to his feet, feeling as though he'd been hit by a car, and faced the Skitter.

It let out another hiss, its fangs dripping with its thick, slimy saliva. The Skitter jumped up in the air, holding the staff out. Hal saw the familiar blue flash of electricity light up its tip, and without a moment's hesitation, he rushed at the Skitter and jabbed the shard straight through the roof of its mouth.

Hal heard a crunching sound, and the he felt the horrible sticky blood gush from the Skitter's mouth. The Skitter collapsed instantly, dragging Hal down with it. He fell to his side, his arm still jammed inside the dead beast's mouth.

Hal slowly and carefully pulled his sticky arm from the Skitter's mouth, his entire forearm dripping with hot black blood.

He rolled over on his back for a moment, clutching his stomach tightly, desperately trying to not cry out in pain. He pulled his torn shirt up slightly, so that he could get a clear look at his stomach. Hal winced as he saw the already-darkened, swollen bruise that encompassed the entire left side of his abdomen.

Hal pulled his shirt back down, breathing out heavily. He turned his head and saw the staff lying half-beneath the dead Skitter.

Hal stiffly pulled himself to his knees and reached down to the staff. He tugged on it with as much force as he could muster, but it barely moved an inch. The Skitter was too heavy, and Hal was too weak. He sighed in frustration as he pushed himself to his feet.

Hal turned for the door, moving surprisingly quick. He stuck his head out and searched the corridor up and down several times before he proceeded to exit the room.

He didn't know where he was going, or what he was looking for. Hal felt as though he may as well be walking blind. The entire hall was empty, with the exception of the room Hal had been confined to. There were no other rooms, no doors, no exits.

Hal had walked the corridor up and down several times, and he still found nothing. He felt like he was cornered in a tight box. He had yet to even run into another Skitter. He was starting to question whether there had ever even been a Skitter, but the throbbing pain on his abdomen told him there had been.

Hal ran his hands through his hair, pulling on it hard. He looked from side to side hastily. Hal felt like he was going insane. He couldn't tell what was real, and what his mind told him was real.

"You killed my brother." The soft voice filled his head.

Hal turned on his heels quickly, and he met the eyes of a little girl.

She looked to be about five or six years old. She had soft, light brown curls that were slightly matted. Her arms were dirty, and Hal saw traces of dried blood on them. Her face still held a round shape, but her body had too many visible bones. She was draped in a ratty pink dress that looked like it might have been an old princess costume. She wore one matching pink slipper, but her other foot was bare, exposing her overgrown nails and calloused heels. Her skin was pale, almost sickly.

Hal stared at her, finding no response to her statement. He felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he wondered how she came to be on this ship.

Hal knelt down shakily, so that their eyes were even.

"What... What are you doing here?" Hal whispered, glancing around to ensure they were still alone. "How did you get here?"

"You killed my brother." The girl repeated. Her eyes were completely empty, and she expressed no emotions.

Hal opened his mouth to speak, but something behind her caught his eye. Hal squinted, trying to focus. He had spent so much time in that blinding cell that his eyes were having a hard time adjusting the darkened corridor, and he had gone so long without sleep or food that he found it incredibly difficult to maintain any sort of focus.

Hal's eyes slowly focused in on the object. It was glowing, emitting a dull orange color. Hal was exhausted and slightly delirious, so it took him a few moments to realize what the object was.

Then it hit him suddenly. She was harnessed.

Hal tried to stand up quickly, but he fell back on his heels. He caught himself from hitting his back, and he managed to clumsily scramble to his feet.

The little girl stared at Hal, her face still empty of emotion. She watched as he slowly began to stumble backwards and away from her. His face was heavily guarded, but there was a slight flicker of fear in his sunken eyes.

"Where are you going, Hal?" The little girl called out. Her voice rung through his aching head, making his skin crawl.

Hal still backed away, his body moving almost in slow motion. His feet felt heavy, like they were a hundred pounds each.

"Why did you kill my brother?" The little girl began to step closer to Hal.

He slowly came to the realization that the Skitter he killed back in the room had been this little girl's "brother." Hal felt guilty for a second. He had taken a family member from this girl.

Hal almost began to apologize, but then he remembered she was harnessed, and harnessed kids were controlled. This wasn't the little girl speaking to him. It was the thing controlling her body.

As Hal continued to back further down the hall, away from the child, a chill crept down his back. He stopped suddenly, his eyes watching the little girl. She remained where she had been moments before, her eyes still burning into Hal's skin.

Hal turned slowly, his body rigid. He clenched his hands into tight fists at his side, ready to attack whatever awaited him.

Hal turned completely, and found nothing but darkness. His eyes flicked up and down, left and right, but there was only emptiness.

Hal heard a click coming from where the little girl had been. Without hesitation, he spun around, his expression deadly. He immediately stiffened, however, all instincts forgotten.

Where the girl had been standing alone just seconds before, Hal now saw a familiar figure next to the young child. His breath caught in his throat, but he kept his features cool. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing he feared her.

"What are you doing, Hal?" Karen almost sounded exasperated, like she was speaking to a disobedient child. "This could have been simple and painless, if you had just stayed put."

"You weren't feeding me." Hal stated simply, his eyes holding her gaze evenly. His expression was cold and filled with hatred.

"So you killed our brother?" Karen took a step closer to Hal. She pulled the little girl with her.

"I wanted to get your attention." Hal's voice was practically dripping with rage.

"Well, you certainly did that." Karen chuckled a little, taking another step closer to Hal. He remained still, his body stiff.

Karen stopped a few feet away from Hal, an dark grin plastered to her face. She pulled the little girl in front of her, letting her hands rest on the child's shoulders.

"I wouldn't have let them starve you, Hal. You know that, don't you?" Karen questioned, her voice light and deceptively innocent. "I wouldn't let you die, Hal. I love you." She smiled at him, her eyes gleaming.

Hal remained silent, his eyes never falling from hers.

"But... I can't let the death of my brother go unnoticed, Hal. Not even for you." Karen paused, seeming to think about her next words carefully. "You wanted my attention, and I gave it to you. Now, I'm going to need yours."

Without any warning, Karen moved her hands to the girl's head, placing one across her forehead and cupping her jaw with the other.

"No!" Hal yelled, his voice hoarse and trembling. He took a shaky step forward, reaching his hand out towards them.

"Hal?" The little girl called his name, her eyes looking straight into his. And before Hal could do anything, or say anything, Karen twisted her hands quickly.

Hal heard the crack as it rang out between Karen's cold fingers. He stopped moving, feeling frozen in place. For a moment, Hal was certain his heart stopped beating.

Karen removed her hands from the child's head. Hal watched as the little girl collapsed to the ground. Her eyes were still open, but they had rolled back into her head, revealing only the whites. The harness on her tiny back was no longer glowing.

Hal fell to his knees next to the girl's lifeless body. He felt a sharp tightness in his chest, and realized he had been holding in his breath. He breathed out heavily, his heart pounding.

Hal reached out and pulled the child to him. He gently lifted her body into his arms, cradling her. She lay limp in his arms, her skin already becoming cold.

Hal let out another long, deep breath. He felt as though he had too much air in his chest, and it caused his body to ache. He tried to release the air, but the aching remained.

Hal's grip on the dead child tightened. His eyes began to sting with tears, but they wouldn't fall. He felt his entire body shivering, and he felt a terrible sickness in his stomach.

"It didn't have to be this way, Hal. You made it so." Karen said in a low, dark voice.

He looked up at her, his eyes filled with more pain and rage and darkness than anyone should ever know. Hal began to stand, still clutching the little girl to his aching chest. He took a step towards her, his expression crazed. But before he could say anything, an explosion of pain spread throughout his back.

Hal fell to his knees, still cradling the girl in his tired arms. His vision suddenly became blurry, and his head began to spin. He tried to move, but another electric wave of pain ripped through his body, and he let himself fall into the soothing peacefulness of the dark.


End file.
